Launching the Sustainable 'Forestry-Welfare Collaboration' Model Combining Disability Employment Support and Forest Regeneration

EG Forest Co., Ltd. (Furari City, Chiba Prefecture; President: Hirotaka Terashima; hereinafter "EGF"), a subsidiary of Eco Green Holdings Co., Ltd. (Chuo Ward, Tokyo; President: Mitsuhiro Ishii) specializing in forest harvesting, reforestation, and maintenance, has officially launched its Forestry-Welfare Collaboration Project (hereinafter "the Project") with social welfare corporation Makino no Mi Kai (Tako Town, Katori District, Chiba Prefecture). The jointly produced "Chiba Firewood" is now being sold at campsites across the prefecture and has been officially adopted as a return gift for Furari City's hometown tax donations.

This project represents a sustainable 'Forestry-Welfare Collaboration (Forestry × Welfare)' model that simultaneously addresses two critical issues: utilizing cedar trees damaged by 'Mizukusare' disease—a serious problem in Chiba's forests—as valuable local resources, while creating economic circulation for welfare facilities and meaningful work opportunities for their users.

In many areas of Chiba Prefecture, a cedar disease known as 'Mizukusare' (groove rot) is spreading, creating a severe environmental challenge. Infected cedar trees experience decay starting from the base, significantly reducing their structural strength as timber. As a result, they cannot be used for traditional construction purposes. After being cut down, these trees are often discarded or left in forests, becoming abandoned debris that contributes to forest degradation. During natural disasters such as typhoons, these weakened trees can fall over, exacerbating damage.

Decayed cedar due to Mizukusare disease

Decayed trees can become windfall trees, increasing disaster damage

To regenerate forests damaged by these conditions, EGF is promoting appropriate harvesting, reforestation, and forest management. In addition to their existing use of diseased timber as fuel for biomass power generation, EGF is now advancing the use of properly processed and thoroughly dried wood as firewood. As long as the disease has not progressed too far, these trees show no issues in combustion performance as firewood. In fact, moderately dried cedar has the advantage of being easy to ignite and user-friendly—even for beginners—aligning perfectly with the growing demand from campers and wood stove users.

EGF has now fully launched this project, selling this wood as a 'local resource' to simultaneously achieve forest renewal (improvement) and effective resource utilization.

Forestry-Welfare Collaboration with Makino no Mi Kai: Joint Firewood Production Leveraging Mutual Strengths

To expand the production of 'Chiba Firewood,' EGF has shifted from in-house manufacturing to outsourcing production to welfare facilities with deep community ties. Their partner is 'Social Welfare Corporation Makino no Mi Kai,' which operates group homes and day service facilities for people with disabilities primarily in Tako Town, Katori District, Chiba Prefecture. The organization operates under the motto 'One Smile a Day (Ichinichi Isshou),' promoting vibrant welfare and community engagement activities for users and staff alike.

The firewood production operation at Kuga Welfare Center—the day service facility operated by Makino no Mi Kai—has been running for approximately one year since its launch. EGF delivers harvested logs, cut to approximately 30 centimeters in length, from forest sites to the center, where they are processed into finished products through the following division of labor:

Staff members split the firewood, which users then pack

【Specific Manufacturing Process and Roles】

The actual manufacturing process and respective roles are as follows:

1. Tree Harvesting and Processing (handled by EGF): Harvesting timber, including diseased trees, and performing basic processing. Selecting suitable logs for firewood and adjusting them to fit the size requirements of splitting machines.

2. Firewood Splitting (handled by Makino no Mi Kai staff): Using specialized machinery, staff safely split the delivered logs into firewood.

3. Packing, Bundling, and Transport (handled by Makino no Mi Kai users): Users pack the split firewood according to specifications—coniferous wood (3/5 kg) and broadleaf wood (5/7 kg)—securely fasten them with strapping bands, transport them to a dedicated warehouse within the facility, and carefully store them until shipment.

Regarding these processes, staff from Makino no Mi Kai stated: "Each user has different strengths and preferences in tasks. We carefully assess individual characteristics to assign the most suitable work for each person."

Securing firewood with strapping bands

Storing bundled firewood in the warehouse

The Joy of 'Going Outside' and Social Significance

Traditionally, activities for users at welfare facilities have primarily focused on light indoor tasks. In contrast, firewood production is an outdoor activity involving physical movement and direct contact with natural wood. On-site staff report: "Because it's an outdoor physical activity, users are genuinely enjoying their work. Many users actively volunteer for this task."

Users involved in the work have shared feedback such as:

"It's enjoyable to use my hands to create something tangible"

"I feel a sense of accomplishment when my work clearly results in a finished product"

Additionally, users with camping experience have expressed:

"It's joyful to spend time touching my favorite trees."

Furthermore, some users understand that the firewood produced through this project has been selected as a hometown tax return gift for Furari City, and that using harvested trees as firewood contributes to forest regeneration. Some users have expressed pride, saying: "I understand our work is socially recognized and meaningful." This enhances their motivation toward employment. Moreover, the proceeds from these activities are used for events such as 'dinner gatherings' organized by the users themselves, creating enjoyable milestones for their next steps.

Future Outlook

EGF and Makino no Mi Kai aim to further promote and strengthen this 'regional economic circulation model.'

Akira Akiyama, Head of the Regional Support Department at Makino no Mi Kai, shared his vision for the future: "Moving forward, we plan to involve users in sales activities, such as accompanying staff to campsites to sell firewood. By going out together and directly interacting with members of the local community, we hope to foster grassroots understanding that people with such disabilities live among us. For the users themselves, building new connections with the outside world is extremely important. Through these interactions, I believe genuine human connections will truly emerge."

Transforming forest-damaged trees—often discarded—into 'local resources,' enhancing the sustainability of forestry, and realizing a community-based society through welfare—EGF and Makino no Mi Kai will continue to discover new value at the intersection of forests and society, promoting initiatives that create cycles of smiles within the region.

With the team from Makino no Mi Kai