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+--- Thread: Oregon developer seeks to log BI koa forests (/showthread.php?tid=7095)
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Oregon developer seeks to log BI koa forests - csgray - 03-27-2010
This developer wants to log his way out of bankruptcy by logging off 5600 acres of the watershed above Hilo. John Musumeci is the king of back room deals, Arlie Co. went into debt in part by pushing through developments that ran roughshod over Oregon's land use laws. The part that is particularly worrisome is at the end of the article when he talks about starting small to gain local trust and then ramping up his operation to a large scale.
http://registerguard.com/csp/cms/sites/web/news/cityregion/24570178-41/arlie-hawaii-koa-conservation-company.csp
Carol
RE: Oregon developer seeks to log BI koa forests - tahitianskies - 03-27-2010
This is disturbing yet not at all surprising in our economic times. Especially disturbing for those of us who strive to preserve the natural environment around us. Hopefully this won't just be another case of big business stripping priceless natural assets to save their own asses.
RE: Oregon developer seeks to log BI koa forests - csgray - 03-27-2010
They're talking about taking $10-15 million per month in koa out once they get going. There is no way that can be done sustainably with trees that grow as slow as koa. When I lived in Oregon I watched Arlie and Co. under Musumeci push a large scale mixed use commercial/high density housing development into a quiet residential neighborhood of single family homes that didn't want it, and then just walk away when the bottom of the market dropped out, leaving a destroyed neighborhood, a half built project and the debts he wants to pay off with the koa logging. This company is as sleazy as they come.
The only good news is he isn't part of the Hawaii old boys network, so he may not get his way. The bad news is that the Oregon commercial logging practices he is used to are pretty much clear cut and run, leaving trashed watersheds downhill and decimated ecosystems in the logged off areas.
Carol
RE: Oregon developer seeks to log BI koa forests - critterlover - 03-28-2010
Is there a way to put the Koa Tree on some protected list that prevents harvesting them excepting for indigenous peoples or purposes? Is there some ordinance that could prevent massive deforestation? This is most alarming to me. I have only lived here for 20 years and am saddened at how many beautiful forested areas have been leveled and for no good reason. I sat, just yesterday, waiting for the light to turn to get on to 130 from the connector street across from the Keaau High School and looked at the corner where beautiful trees once stood and now low lying weeds grow. The drive from Keaau to Pahoa manifests less and less natural forest and more and more leveled lots with weeds. I would be glad to work towards any venue to preserve the natural forests on this island. I understand we are talking about privately owned lands and some of those individuals understand they are sitting on a vault of equity in the Koa on their properties. It is a precarious issue but if no one gets out ahead of this the trip up Hamakua Coast is going to be forever altered! Signed...unofficial Tree Hugger
“A penny saved is a government oversight.”
RE: Oregon developer seeks to log BI koa forests - Hotzcatz - 03-28-2010
Folks, read the article before you panic. There are already a lot of laws and vigilant watchdog groups out there protecting the trees so it isn't likely this person is going to be able to harvest trees on conservation land.
As for the economics of growing koa, though, several years ago, I was doing some drafting for some folks who wanted to do just that. The numbers they were using were 426 koa trees per acre and they were planning on letting the trees grow as a native forest interspersed with other trees so the koa would have a higher incidence of "curly". I forget the exact percentage of curly they were hoping for, somewhere around 30%, I think it was. Trees grown plantation style (in rows) have a tendency to grow straight which isn't what makes the curly so koa in rows is not as good as koa in forests. They also hoped to start light harvesting in about fourteen years with full sustainable harvesting starting in about twenty years. They planned to never harvest more than 10% per year and they were planning on bringing the trees out by mules or ATV's. Apparently koa has shallow root systems and machinery damages the roots. Cattle can damage the roots as well as eat the young koa so cattle and koa don't mix well. They were planning on perhaps some bird hunting and perhaps a campground with trails through the forest as land use while waiting for the koa to grow.
These folks already log different areas on the planet but they are extremely green about the whole thing. Each tree is marked with GPS coordinates before it is harvested so you can find out exactly where the lumber came from. They never clear cut the trees. Hmm, figure 8% of 426 trees per acre is 34 trees. If you can sell a koa tree for $1,500 each (on average, the curly ones go for more the straight ones perhaps less) that's about $50K per acre per year. If anyone has a twenty year lead time, it could be a great business.
Kurt Wilson
RE: Oregon developer seeks to log BI koa forests - csgray - 03-28-2010
Hotkatz,
It is clear that the people you worked for were not Arlie Co. just because they had a long term "green" plan for their operation doesn't mean Arlie will do anything that isn't going to directly profit them. They are looking for a quick fix to a financial crisis, not a long term investment in growing koa sustainably. Oregon has some of the strongest land use laws in the country and they still managed to cut deals to allow them to destroy a neighborhood in pursuit of short term profit.
"There are already a lot of laws and vigilant watchdog groups out there" is the sort of complacent attitude that allows companies like this one do a lot of damage, and while I haven't been in Hawaii for decades, in only 4 years I have seen plenty of back room deals that trumped conservation interests. All you have to do is look at the Kona side to see the proof of that. People shouldn't panic, but should start getting the word out and shining some light on Arlie's plans for our Island. At $1,500 per tree to "produce a couple of million dollars a month" they are telling their creditors is their goal, it comes to over 1300 trees per month. I don't see how they can possibly get that kind of cut out with 'sustainable" practices.
Carol
RE: Oregon developer seeks to log BI koa forests - missydog1 - 03-28-2010
I understand your concern and get that Arlie is BAD, but this is not one of those deals where the County is trying for a logging/milling deal to do something with all the trees that were planted specifically to harvest. This is conservation land, and there is also the potential for changing the Hilo environment by clear-cutting above Hilo.
The trend I have seen (from my reading, which granted is not all-encompassing) is that Hawai'i has been taking a dim view of mainlanders who buy conservation land expecting they can come in and rape the land. From what the article says, Arlie bought the land without negotiating any kind of deal in advance, accepting all the limitations.
RE: Oregon developer seeks to log BI koa forests - Greg - 03-28-2010
Hotzcatz,
Are you refering to the cool Koa project north of Hilo being spearheaded by the Kekua Foundation? I got to look at their work about ten years ago and it blew me away. At the time they had planted about 400 acres of Koa in old pasture. It was not a "natural" forest situation, but the scale and beauty of so many Koa trees rising above a grass carpet was breathtaking.
The plan was to let it develop a canopy, do selective harvesting, and have the next generation of Koa grow straight up through the opening to become "Canoe Trees" for our grandchildren.
This project was the vision of John Kekua of the Kamehameha Canoe club. They also "scarified"(disked) about two hundred acres of pasture that resulted in thousands of Koa keiki popping up that had been dormant under the pasture for many years(of course cattle fencing was part of the plan).
Years ago, you could contact the Kekua foundation and arrange a tour for your club or group.
RE: Oregon developer seeks to log BI koa forests - Bob Orts - 03-28-2010
quote:O'oma? A developer can get conservation land zoned for whatever they want by throwing in "affordable housing", "ocean access", or whatever else sells the project to the people.
Originally posted by KathyH
The trend I have seen (from my reading, which granted is not all-encompassing) is that Hawai'i has been taking a dim view of mainlanders who buy conservation land expecting they can come in and rape the land. From what the article says, Arlie bought the land without negotiating any kind of deal in advance, accepting all the limitations.
A skilled development consultant knows how to throw in affordable housing, the right amount of job creation, something for the kids, and giving back to the culture & community, and they will get Hawaii County and the people to let them pave over a historic cemetery for a Wal-Mart parking lot.
The government is the hardest hurdle whenever a developer wants to get their way, but they know if they can fool the people into supporting a project, government usually backs off.
RE: Oregon developer seeks to log BI koa forests - missydog1 - 03-29-2010
well, Bob, you know I respect your opinion and knowledge a lot, and you may be right. The last fight over development in my area, the developer lost, and it was ag land, not conservation, and yes he pulled the affordable housing crap, and the job creation crap, and it didn't work. People pulled together and exposed the preliminary environmental assessment as hokum.
I am very cynical about governement in Hawai'i, but I believe things are beginning to turn. People have had enough and they are willing to march and protest, and that looks bad for politicians when their constituents do that.