Posted on: Tuesday, June 3, 2003

EDITORIAL
Koa forest plan is a boon to Hawai'i

In an era where the short-term pursuit of maximum gain seems to be the norm, it is heartening to read of a project on Maui where a group of public and private landowners have in mind a time frame of as much as 50 years.

The group is called the Leeward Haleakala Watershed Restoration Project. As described by Maui Bureau Chief Timothy Hurley, the group hopes to restore a vast koa forest on some 43,000 acres 3,500 feet up Haleakala's slopes.

Evidence suggests such a forest once existed there but has been lost to logging, ranching and foreign species.

The group hopes to reinstall a koa forest in the area, offering a habitat for native birds and plants; opportunities for eco-tourism, protection and enhancement of the watershed, and a sustainable supply of koa for such things as canoe building.

This won't happen quickly. Although koa is a fast-growing tree and the location is ideal, it will be up to 50 years before the forest is mature.

But what a magnificent thing it will be, bringing benefits for Maui, for the landowners and for everyone in Hawai'i. This project deserves robust support from all.