Big Island timber potential moves to political arena

By Hugh Clark
Advertiser Big Island Bureau

WAIMEA, Hawai'i — The debate over a potential forestry industry on the Big Island moves to Waimea tonight.

The Waimea Community Association will hear from Peter Simmons, who is in charge of Kamehameha Schools' timber initiative on former Hamakua Sugar Co. lands. He will discuss a forestry products proposal that could reduce traffic from trucks moving harvested trees.

The meeting is at 5:30 p.m. at Kahilu Town Hall.

Since 1996, Pru Timber, a subsidiary of Prudential Insurance, has been planting eucalyptus trees on 20,000 acres of Kamehameha Schools land that the trust acquired after the sugar plantation's 1992 bankruptcy.

Forestry was proposed as a new industry for the Big Island by Gov. Ben Cayetano and former Mayor Steve Yamashiro in 1997. Critics are concerned about increased fire risks, truck traffic and the economic and environment impacts.

On April 12, the state Board of Land and Natural Resources will take up a proposed 12,000-acre harvesting project in the Wai-akea Forest Reserve south of Hilo.

Tradewinds LLC, a Pacific Northwest investment group, plans to establish a mill to process the trees somewhere on the Hamakua coast. The $4 million plant would manufacture hardwood veneer, lumber and chips. The plant is expected to create 400 jobs.

The same firm has a 15-year agreement with Pru Timber, starting in 2003, to mill trees growing on the Kamehameha Schools land.