Karuizawa Wildlife Issues Research Group "CROSS"
★Greeting★
CROSS is a voluntary organization established in January2009 by 12 individuals (currently 18 members) mostly living in the town of Karuizawa. CROSS is providing information and implementing outreach education regarding wildlife issues in order to gain a well-balanced relationship between wildlife; a symbol of rich natural environment, and local human society.
Damage caused by wildlife including bears, monkeys, deer, boars have become serious problems currently in all over Japan. We sometimes need to remove wildlife in order to protect our own lives as human beings. However, none of residents actually want meaningless culling of wildlife to take place. Local community needs to implement such interventions including clearing bush, proper control of trash, and good maintenance of the forest environment persistently and consistently for reaching the ultimate solution of the conflicts. A coordinator of the local area is also necessary for sharing the knowledge and information, and have discussion with local residents.
We believe that co-existence between wildlife and people can be built based on how much local residents have knowledge of and tolerance towards wildlife rather than the number of animals killed in short-term. The goal of this organization is to solve wildlife conflicts and to achieve a co-existence of wildlife and local society through reviving a warm local community where people are well connected to each other. We appreciate your warm support, from our heart.
★Organizational Structure★
18 official members
Chief of director: Ayako Uchikoshi
(Associate Professor at Faculty of Law of Seijo University)
Director: Kyoko Ohta (Writer of juvenile books)
Director: Masataka Yanagisawa (Former Leader of Sugiuri District)
Director: Hisao Yoda ( Former Leader of Shimo-Hocchi District)
Director: Yoshiharu Tsuchiya (President of the Karuizawa Tourism Association)
Financial controller: Haruo Aiba (Vice Leader of Naka-Karuizawa District)
Secretary general: Ayako Uchikoshi
★Contact★
tel. 090-5587-5377 fax.020-4624-1369
e-mail: karuizawa-cross＠mbn.nifty.com
★For Donation/ Purchasing Goods★
The Hachijuni Bank/ Naka-Karuizawa Branch Office(352)/ Saving Account
Account Number 472504
カルイザワヤセイドウブツモンダイケンキュウカイクロス
/Karuizawa Yaseidoubutsu Mondai Kenkyukai KUROSU
★An Intention of Establishment★
Karuizawa is a unique area where forests and human settlements overlap. The overlap of wildlife habitats and people’s living area generate various conflicts. Karuizawa town has been addressing these problems by controlling the population of wildlife as well as nuisance individual animas. Also the town has been conducting outreach to promote the importance of clearing bush, proper control of trash, and good maintenance of forest environment.
However, people in Karuizawa have various positions and opinions toward the actual interventions for addressing human-wildlife conflicts. Various kinds of people; those who have been living in the town for a long time, those who just moved to the town, and visitors and owners of cottages, have different occupations and lifestyles, which make it difficult to have consensus in values of and interests toward wildlife. Connecting these situations is a key factor for solving wildlife issues in Karuizawa.
Therefore, not only controlling the population but also we need to provide the opportunity that people can discuss about wildlife issues and coordinate the participatory community management. Those who agreed to these ideas formed an organization, “CROSS”. We also feel the importance of having good communication with local residents and creating the system deep-rooted in the local community. The organization is consisted of diverse people including members of Karuizawa town assembly, officials of local districts, a staff at Nagano prefectural government, an officer of the tourism association, a professor, and a writer of juvenile books. This diversity is the strength of the CROSS.
Consensus building is indeed the necessary process for addressing the wildlife issues not only in Karuizawa town but also all over the nation, and also not only regarding wildlife issues but also every political issues. What kinds of public polices are necessary? What is the community management? What is the good corroboration between the government and public? How should we build communication between people in urban cities and those in agricultural villages? We want to have a continuous discussion regarding those topics which require broad perspectives to answer.
★What is CROSS?★
Cross is the name of a bear which Picchio, an NGO funded by Karuizawa town has been radio tracking to understand the behaviors. This bear was captured in 2006 and released in deep forest since it has not done anything nuisance. The chief director of the organization, Ushickoshi, had an honor to name this bear. The bear was named “Cross” as it was the thirty-seventh bear captured, and also hoping that relationship with various people would cross (be enhanced).
Three years have passed since then, and the organization named “Karuizawa Wildlife Issues Research Group CROSS” was established to build consensus regarding wildlife issues among various people. Cross is also the name of the bear which lives composedly in the National Forest. We wish that various relationships with stakeholders will cross. We hope that people would remember this word.
(The name of the cat adopted by Uchikoshi just before establishment of the organization is also “KUROSU”. The cat was black just like a black bear, therefore I named her KUROSU (Kuro meaning black in Japanese). A bear Cross, a cat KUROSU, and the name of the organization CROSS. The sound cross gathered without notice. This can be a tie.
