Posted on: Tuesday, June 15, 2004

EDITORIAL
'Treescape' of military housing areas critical

In development, the quickest and easiest path is often to simply clear an area and then start from scratch.

But it is not always the best path.

That's certainly the case in the planned rehabilitation and reconstruction of thousands of military housing facilities on O'ahu soon to begin under the guidance of private contractors.

One of the key issues has been the preservation of thousands of World War II-era trees on military facilities.

It is heartening to read that the private contractors have agreed with the Outdoor Circle and others that they will preserve, as much as possible, the "treescape" that makes our military housing facilities distinctive.

It is something of an irony that many of the trees were planted less with shade and beauty in mind than as a form of camouflage.

Still, over the years the monkeypod, coconut and other trees have matured in a way that graces both the military housing areas and the entire community.

The commitment to preserve most, if not all, of these trees should not be taken lightly. It has taken decades to grow them to their current stature. Housing can rather easily, if somewhat expensively, be replaced.

Mature trees, once lost, are gone forever.