Environment Villagers block large solar project and save Hokkaido crane habitat

Otowabashi bridge in Tsurui, Hokkaido (photo credit: Kato Takeo)

Thanks to an abundant supply of spring water, the Setsurigawa river remains unfrozen even in the middle of winter when the average daily low dips below minus 10 degrees. Steam rising from the river surface is cooled by contact with cold air to form fog, creating a fantastical landscape featuring red-crowned cranes that use the place as their refuge. The scenery, often featured in overseas media, is widely known among bird enthusiasts and photographers around the world. The area became so popular that the pedestrian bridge was built in 1999 to give photographers a safe spot away from the roadway. Wada, who is also involved in a forestry business, said it was important to protect the area because it is covered with grass and larch trees, and deforestation could have reduced the amount of water flowing into the Setsurigawa river. After learning about another deforestation project covering 16 hectares in a forest that serves as a water source for the Kushiro wetlands, Wada purchased the plot at his own expense to keep the area as a forest reserve.

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