Suwon City Pushes to Designate Chilbo Skirt Lily Habitat as 'Wildlife Protection Area'

[Suwon Ilbo=Reporter Seo Dong-young] Suwon City announced on the 2nd that it plans to designate the area around the 'Chilbo skirt lily' habitat at Chilbosan Mountain as a 'Wildlife Protection Area' to protect and systematically manage the ecologically valuable Chilbo skirt lily.

In May, the city established a 'Wildlife Protection Area Designation Consultation Committee,' collected expert opinions, and established a designation plan. In November, it announced a draft wildlife protection area designation and gathered citizen opinions. The city is currently preparing consultations with the Ministry of Environment. Once consultations are completed, it plans to announce the 'protection area designation decision' as early as January next year.

Wildlife protection areas restrict entry and prohibit damage to wildlife habitats and collection of organisms. Any activities such as use or development within the protection area must be coordinated with Suwon City in advance.

The Chilbo skirt lily, a perennial herbaceous plant in the lily family, was first discovered on Chilbosan Mountain in Suwon in 1968 and named accordingly. However, over time, it disappeared from Chilbosan Mountain. As a terrestrial plant endangered species Class II, it grows very rarely in limited areas.

The city collaborated with the National Institute of Ecology to transplant 1,000 Chilbo skirt lilies into the Chilbosan Mountain wetland over two years from 2017 to 2018 for restoration purposes. The flowers first bloomed in June 2018.

Additionally, the city is systematically managing the habitat area so that the 'Chilbo skirt lily' can inhabit it stably.

In November, thinning and vine removal work were conducted to secure sunlight for the habitat and create forest gaps.

From February to May next year, the city plans to install boundary fences and information signs around the Chilbo skirt lily habitat to prevent human damage. A separate observation space for visitors will also be installed.

At the same time, the city plans to establish a 'Chilbo skirt lily restoration habitat management governance' with Suwon City, citizens, and environmental organizations to regularly inspect the habitat.

A city official stated, "The habitat is often damaged by visitors who enter the area to take photographs during the Chilbo skirt lily flowering period," adding "we will systematically manage the habitat to prevent such damage."