▲ 예산황새공원 전경  © 예산군

충남 예산군에 있는 예산황새공원이 환경부 공모사업 국가생태탐방로 및 생태관광지역으로 2건이 신규 선정됐다고 예산군이 19일 밝혔다.

황새공원이 환경부 공모사업에 선정되면서 국내 최초 황새 텃새화에 성공한 생태환경과 생태자원을 활용해 ‘황새의 일상생활과 인간이 공존하는 지역’이자 우수한 자연환경과 환경적으로 보전 가치가 있음을 인정받았다고 예산군은 설명했다.

국가생태탐방로는 21개 시군구에서 신청한 총 23개 사업을 대상으로 사전검토 및 현장조사단 평가를 거쳐 7곳이 선정되었으며 총사업비 50%가 국비로 지원되는 사업으로 예산황새공원 국가생태탐방로 공사는 황새공원과 보강지, 살목지 둘레길을 연결하는 4.3㎞ 구간을 정비하고 황새 관찰시설을 설치할 예정이며, 사업비 12억원을 투입해 오는 2026년까지 사업을 완료할 계획이다.

또한 생태관광지역은 14개 시군이 신청해 서면평가, 사전조사단 현장평가, 사업계획 PPT 발표평가를 거쳐 최종 6곳이 생태관광지역으로 선정됐고, 예산황새공원은 9000만원의 사업비 중 생태관광지역 운영관리를 위한 국비 50%를 2024년부터 매년 지원받게 되며, 3년마다 재심사를 거쳐 생태관광지역을 재지정 받는다.

한편, 예산황새공원은 2015년부터 멸종위기야생생물 1급인 천연기념물 199호 황새를 국내에서 첫 방사에 성공했으며, 올해까지 115마리를 야생에 돌려보내 국내 유일 기관으로 황새공원에 사육되는 개체수와 야생에서 자연번식 개체수를 포함하여 310여 마리가 전국은 물론 러시아, 중국, 일본, 대만까지 영역을 확산는 가운데 서식 중이다.

*아래는 위 기사를 '구글 번역'으로 번역한 영문 기사의 [전문]입니다. '구글번역'은 이해도를 높이기를 위해 노력하고 있습니다. 영문 번역에 오류가 있을 수 있음을 전제로 합니다.<*The following is [the full text] of the English article translated by 'Google Translate'. 'Google Translate' is working hard to improve understanding. It is assumed that there may be errors in the English translation.>

Yesan County, ‘Stork Park’ designated as national ecological trail and ecological tourism area

Yesan County, South Chungcheong Province, announced on the 19th that Yesan Stork Park, which is attracting attention as a tourism industry, has been selected as two new national ecological trails and eco-tourism areas through a public contest by the Ministry of Environment.

Stork Park was selected as a public contest project by the Ministry of Environment and was recognized as an 'area where the daily lives of storks and humans coexist', as well as an excellent natural environment and environmental conservation value, utilizing the ecological environment and ecological resources that succeeded in establishing stork habitat for the first time in Korea. Yesan explained that he had received it.

A total of 23 projects applied for by 21 cities, counties and districts were selected for the National Ecological Trail, and 7 sites were selected through preliminary review and on-site inspection team evaluation. 50% of the total project cost is supported by government funds, and the construction of the Yesan Stork Park National Ecological Trail is a stork project. A 4.3km section connecting the park, reinforcement land, and salmokji trail will be renovated and a stork observation facility will be installed. The project is planned to be completed by 2026 with a project cost of 1.2 billion won.

In addition, 14 cities and counties applied for eco-tourism areas, and 6 sites were finally selected as eco-tourism areas through written evaluation, on-site evaluation by the preliminary investigation team, and business plan PPT presentation evaluation. Yesan Stork Park was selected as an eco-tourism area out of a project cost of 90 million won. It will receive 50% of government funding for management every year from 2024, and will be re-designated as an eco-tourism area after re-evaluation every three years.

Meanwhile, Yesan Stork Park has succeeded in releasing the first stork in Korea, Natural Monument No. 199, a class 1 endangered wild species, since 2015, and has returned 115 storks to the wild as of this year, making it the only institution in Korea to increase the number of captive-bred storks in the park and the wild. There are about 310 of them, including the naturally breeding population, spreading throughout the country as well as Russia, China, Japan, and Taiwan.