In the town of Minamiaizu in southwestern Fukushima Prefecture, local efforts are gathering steam to promote its rich forestry resources to the world by obtaining global certification for quality woodlands.
To that end, the nonprofit organization Minamiaizu Mori Network is playing a key role in coordinating efforts by the local forestry and construction industries. By winning brand recognition of the town's forests, locals are hoping to revitalize their economy and communities.
As the sole entity in the prefecture receiving subsidies from the Forestry Agency, the NPO is striving to have the town's forests, which cover 80,000 hectares — or 90 percent of the town's area — certified by the Sustainable Green Ecosystem Council (SGEC), a national industry body that certifies forests that are adequately managed in terms of environmental protection and biodiversity.