HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0258.037 1996-1998 - - - - - C~ ~
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Open letter to governor Cayetano 7 J ~ t ~ ~ C P ~ epta )j, )~97 i i
Dear Governor Cayetano: G`.„
You say that there is room for agriculture and euca~~¢,li ges
fpiw,p~t,l-~+J1ips on
the Big Island. It is true that there is more land than we need fur agriculture on the
Haznakua Coast. And, we already have 16,000 acres of wood chip trees being planted.
The question is, what is the best use for the ] 0,000 acres of publicly owned land on this
coast? It may be that we do not need all of this land for agriculture. Some of it should go
to forestry. Do we want real forestry, with a diversity of high value hardwoods that will
otily be selectively harvested, or do we want a wood chip farm; which will be clear cut
every 7 years? You say the eucalyptus farm will provide some jobs. The question is, how
many? Let me quote from the "Hawaii Forestry artd Communities Initiative" paper.
"Industry statistics show the nttmber of
jobs and wealth created increases up to 25 times as
production moves from the simpler products (e.g. wood chips for export to increasingly
sophisticated products such as fate furniture and art objects." From this it is cleaz that
planting high value hazdwoods has the potemial to create 25 jobs for each job that the
wood chip farm will provide. I think I have made this point before, but, is arryone
listening?
Since high value lumber can do so much to improvT our economy, and the wood
chips will provide just about nothing, why in the world are you so insistent that our public
(ands be devoted to wood chips???
We cannot reasonably expect private industry to plam a forest that will not begin
to show a return for 25 years. Only the Government has the time frame and the foresight
to plant such a forest. That is why these 10,000 acres are essential if we aze to hope to
get a wood working industry started on the Big Island. Just planting high value woods
WLU not C lA{antec prosperity. We will need to educate our children in the skills of wood
working. And, a market will need to be established for their products. It will take a lot
of hard work. But, with the raw materials available, it can be done. if no one plants the
vees, then we will never have this opportunity.
We will benefit from a real forest long before the first log is cut up. According to
Leonard A. Newell; Pacific Island Forester, a forest can create more economic value from
tourism than from the lumber produced. So, planting a forest has both short and long
term value. A wood chip farm has neither. The Big Island is already burdened with
16,000 acres devoted to wood chips. Please do not .vaste more land for a product [hat
has no value to us. Instead, look into what the State will have to do to have a high value
forest planted on our lands.
Thank you.
Sincerely,
David A. Caccia
Honokaa, Hi
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