Stop the spread of pine wood nematode disease... Chuncheon City, all-out control efforts

(Chuncheon=Yonhap News) Reporter Lee Sang-hak = Chuncheon City is making all-out efforts to prevent and block the spread of pine wood nematode disease.

Pine wood nematode disease is known as a deadly forest pest with no cure, resulting in 100% mortality upon infection.

To this end, Chuncheon City is pushing forward the "Pine Forest Species Conversion Project" to switch existing pine trees to other species.

The city provides landowners with before-and-after comparison photos to obtain their consent and has extended the validity period of control consent from one year to three years, while also introducing QR code responses to simplify the process.

Moreover, since August, the city has held four explanatory sessions for timber producers to strengthen public-private cooperation.

In particular, Chuncheon City plans to first manage high-risk areas to prevent the spread to neighboring regions and prioritize the removal of dead trees within these areas to maximize the prevention of spread.

Additionally, the city plans to expand support for preventive injections for pine trees and prioritize the management of dead trees and hazardous trees in areas near residential areas where safety accidents are a concern.

An official from Chuncheon City said on the 17th, "Pine wood nematode disease is a forest pest that becomes harder to recover from as it spreads, and it is difficult to prevent the spread of pine wood nematode disease without the cooperation of citizens and landowners, so we urge many to participate and pay attention."