Icheon City Safeguards the Future of Natural Monuments...Promotes Successor Tree Cultivation Project

[Suwon Ilbo=Um In-yong Reporter] Icheon City announced on the 2nd that it is implementing a successor tree cultivation project for Baeksong in Sindae-ri (Natural Monument No. 253) and Banyongsong in Doryeong-ri (Natural Monument No. 381), which are natural monuments within its jurisdiction, in order to fully transmit their genetic characteristics and cultural heritage value to future generations.

Both Baeksong and Banyongsong are old-growth trees with advancing weakened vitality, and particularly damage such as broken branches caused by heavy snow last winter has occurred, further emphasizing the necessity of preservation and successor tree cultivation.

The city began with a field briefing session on successor tree cultivation for natural monuments held with the National Institute of Forest Science in June 2023, and has continued the successor tree cultivation project to date.

As a first step, utilizing the asexual propagation method (grafting), cloned trees genetically identical to the parent trees will be created and preserved as successors, and in the future, through the propagation of these successors, the city plans to use them as promotional trees to raise awareness of the cultural and ecological value and importance of the two natural monuments.