202307/28
Since 2022, the Hsinchu Forest District Office has designated the conservation corridors of the Houlongxi River watershed and the foothills of the mountains in southern Miaoli as the demonstration site of the Ecological Network in Taiwan’s northwest region. Collaborating with partners across different domains, the Forest District Office has engaged in conservation practices and successfully established an active public-private partnership model. Together with more than 20 public and private sector entities, civil organizations, and corporate partners, including the Second River Management Office of the Water Resources Agency, Ministry of Economic Affairs, as well as the Taichung Branch, Agency of Rural Development and Soil and Water Conservation, Council of Agriculture, a solid foundation for the cooperation network of Taiwan’s Northwestern Ecological Network has been laid. Today (28th), the “Achievements of the Taiwan Northwestern Ecological Network” sharing event took place, showcasing a new chapter in cross-agency collaboration for land conservation.
Director Jung-Sheng Hsia of the Hsinchu Forest District Office pointed out that from 2018 to 2020, the Hsinchu Forest District Office conducted comprehensive inventories and surveys of biological resources and human geography in the northwestern region of Taiwan. Personnel of the Forest District Office identified 410 wildlife species of concern, including the leopard cat and the Taipei grass frog, and their habitat preferences. They prioritized five conservation corridors: the “Taoyuan-Hsinchu-Miaoli Coastal Wetland,” “Taoyuan Pond Plain Wetland,” “Fengshan Creek and Touqian Creek Watershed,” “Houlongxi River Watershed,” and “Southern Miaoli Mountain Foothills.” These corridors are part of a mid-scale conservation action strategy. Among them, the “Houlongxi River Watershed” and “Southern Miaoli Mountain Foothills” conservation corridors, which include the habitat of Level I protected species, such as the leopard cat, Iijima’s gudgeon (Squalidus iijimae), and critically endangered plants listed in the Red List of Vascular Plants of Taiwan, became priority demonstration sites. These areas have seen cross-departmental collaboration from central government agencies, local governments, and local conservation groups, serving as an excellent example of public-public and public-private cooperation. On this day (28th), they specifically invited key partners involved in various issues to share practical experiences and achievements with the public.
During this event, the Hsinchu Forest District Office introduced the operation of the Taiwan Northwestern Ecological Network platform, gradually identifying regional conservation corridors and developing effective conservation action topics. Multiple speakers shared their experiences, such as: the Cape of Good Hope in the Southern Miaoli Mountain Foothills conservation corridor. They also explored how abandoned ponds in the area were selected for their conservation value, the establishment of a standardized process for pond creation, how to integrate stakeholders or collaborative resource inputs, and how the context for pond creation was constructed. Another example was the Hsinchu Forest District Office’s work on eco-friendly vegetation creation, which broke away from the previous framework of afforestation. The Forest District Office selected the most suitable eco-friendly vegetation for foothills, streams, and ponds; in addition, the Office further collaborated with the Taichung Branch, Agency of Rural Development and Soil and Water Conservation, and swiftly restored vegetation on exposed land adjacent to soil and water conservation engineering efforts, providing a habitat and corridor for wildlife.
However, not all land is public land that can be swiftly integrated using policy tools. When it comes to private land, besides promoting eco-friendly farming practices, it is also important to combine the power of the public community to conserve the environment of the foothills. Chin-Shu Wu, convener of the Mountain Cat Forest, shared how they cooperated with the public sector to initiate collaboration and involve the public in conservation efforts. The Second River Management Office of the Water Resources Agency, Ministry of Economic Affairs, shared how they promote eco-friendly water resources engineering, based on the research of the National Taiwan University team, while considering the conservation of Iijima’s gudgeons. Besides wildlife conservation, the strategy for conserving threatened plants like Echinops grilissii Hance and Syneilesis intermedia (Hayata) was also discussed. The Tse-Xin Organic Agriculture Foundation, together with worshippers from the Yuecheng Guangming Temple, and students from Tongxiao Xinpu Elementary School, participated in the conservation and restoration of these plants’ habitats. The implementation of these conservation efforts has reached communities, villages, and schools.
This event has brought together the efforts of various sectors, highlighting our common concern and efforts for land conservation. We look forward to using this platform to promote deeper collaboration in various conservation actions, jointly creating a more beautiful natural environment. We welcome more cross-corridor and cross-domain participation from government agencies, businesses, and non-governmental organizations to join us in co-writing a new chapter in Taiwan’s land conservation.