Dwarf water lily (Nymphaea tetragona) Many of the geographic names around the Mire originate from the language of the Ainu people who are native to these areas and live close to the natural environment. Kushiro City The name "Kushiro" may originate from "Ku-shu-ru" in Ainu, meaning "the center of transportation". There are also other opinions. The city is populated by 188,093 people, and serves as a center of society, economy, and culture in eastern Hokkaido. Kushiro Town With a population of 22,651, this residential area of Kushiro City has been growing since 1965. Urbanization is in progress. Shibecha Town The town name originates from "Shi-be-cha," meaning "near the big river" in Ainu. It is populated by 9,270 people who primarily depend on Major Approaches dairy farming. Teshikaga Town The town name means "on the bedrock" in Ainu. With a population of 2 9,155, it serves as a center of tourism in eastern Hokkaido. Kushiro River Watershed Tsurui Village 2,632 residents populate. "Tsurui" stands for "where cranes live". From WhatWhat thethe ProjectProject CoversCovers old times, the community has been characterized by its great and Five Pilot Projects awareness of living in harmony with Japanese cranes. Based upon the previously defined three Project goals, following two approaches are identified. * Population data is based on the Basic Resident Registers as of the end of March 2003. Hirosato Project (See page 11 for details) 0 51015km Kushiro Mire watershed Midori The Hirosato area is located adjacent to a downtown, but Five Pilot Project areas N nevertheless provides important habitats for rare species such as Japanese cranes. Wetland loss Teshikaga Town due to agricultural development is progressing, despite there are many abandoned farmlands. Restoration will focus on the Kawayu-Onsen wetland habitat. Work Within Prioritize Buffer Zone Lake Kussharo Lake Mashu Takkobu Project the Watershed Context Conservation at (See page 16 for details) This area is geographically and Miruwa Five Selected Areas biologically diverse particularly Route243 The Project area covers the entire Kushiro The Project begins with five pilot projects of around the Takkobu Pond. There is a concern that poor forest Osappe River River Watershed, an area of 250,000 hectares high urgency for buffer zone conservation. management in the adjacent uplands may have lowered the Mashu containing the Mire and five local districts. To protect the Mire from the cumulative impact at the Route243 ability of soil conservation and The Mire is located in the Kushiro River Watershed that watershed-scale, the Project implementation begins with Route241 water storage as well as habitat extends over five cities and towns. Given this location, the buffer zone conservation. Five areas adjacent to the Mire quality. Restoration will focus on Route391 Mire has been altered by cumulative influences, such as were selected, where the greatest impact is expected. the upland forests. Lake Akan Minami-Teshikaga Isobunnai sediment and nutrient inputs from a 250,000 million hectares- Restoration will be extended to the entire watershed after Touro-Kayanuma Project River watershed. The Project therefore focuses on reducing human ensuring the effectiveness of these pilot projects. (See page 18 for details) In addition to wetland loss, water impact on the Mire by controlling activities across the entire This strategy offers the benefit of presenting an Choumanai River pollution has been progressing watershed. accomplishment one by one to the local residents. This will due to urban and agricultural Tsurui Village Numaoro River Isobunnai Kuchoro River runoff. An issue is a declining tatsuniwashi River promote public attention to the Project, facilitate mutual O abundance of aquatic macro- The Project restores the wetland's ecosystem agreement, and encourage the public to change their lifestyle phytes and other aquatic species. Tawa River linkages in longitudinal and lateral dimensions. to a more ecologically conscious one. Restoration will focus on the lake Osobetsu River The wetland's complex ecosystem is characterized by the water environment. flow of materials and organisms between upstream and Shibecha Five areas were chosen for the buffer zone Kuchoro-Hororo Project Kunikunnai River downstream, interactions with adjacent terrestrial ecosystems, Farmlands are distributed in the Kottaro River conservation projects. Chiruwatsunai River fringe of this area, but the Shiroreto River and flood disturbances. The Project aims to recover natural The five areas are Hirosato, Takkobu, Touro-Kayanuma, Ashibetsu River Chiruwatsunai River, two Mohororo River JR Nemuro Line processes and functions and restore the habitats that support Kuchoro-Hororo, and Onnenai-Hokuto, where cumulative peninsulas of Kirakotan and Route274 Gojikkoku Shiraruto- roetoro Miyajima across the river, and River various wildlife, by considering the ecological and physical wetland degradation has been detected. These areas were also Setsuri River others still remain relatively Ninishibetsu River Route272 linkages in longitudinal and lateral dimensions. chosen because they can serve as a symbol of the Project. Akan Town Kayanuma undisturbed. Alder forest expan- O ryom To select specific sites within the five areas, our first sion associated with sediment Lake Shirarutoro Shibecha Town loading to the Mire is in progress. appu River priority was preservation of intact wetland habitats followed Field surveys to prioritize Kuchoro-Hororo area Touro-Kayanuma area PHOTO : Takemi Iijima Onnenai River Lake Touro by the restoration of degraded ones in close proximity to them restoration actions are currently Touro undertaken. in order to perpetuate a healthy sustainable ecosystem over a Moarekinai River Arekinai large area. Onnenai-Hokuto Project Takkobu Pond River Onnenai-Hokuto area Bogs and springs with a variety of H River Hosooka ororo wildlife remain in this area. Kushiro River Kushiro Town New Kushiro Kushiro-ShitsugenRiver However, agricultural and resi- Setsuri River Akan River Old channel dential development has been Kushiro City Toya caused a loss of Tussock-sedge Takkobu area community (the accumulation of JR Nemuro Line undecomposed sedges), an Otanoshike Kami-Ohoro Shin-FujiHirosato area Obirashike important habitat for Siberian River Ohoro salamanders. Restoration priori- JR Nemuro Line Kushiro Common hawker (Aeshna Marsh Jacob's ladder (Pole- Nishi-Shoro Route38 Higashi-Kushiro subarctica subarctica) monium caeruleum subsp. tization is currently in process. ● Beppo A remnant species from the last glacial laxiflorum f. paludosum) ● Route44 period. The species was found in 1972 A remnant species from the last glacial Shiranuka by Kazuo Iijima, a resident of Shibecha period. The species is distributed only Town. The species inhabits sphagnum in the wetlands of the Kushiro region, dominant community in the Mire. scattered in reed-sedge community. It 8 yields pretty violet flowers. 9.