Saving Hawaii’s Koa Industry — And The Environment…The private sector and state are coming together to ensure an abundance of koa far into the future.
Heavy harvesting of koa — known for the beautiful woodcrafts it can be made into as well as its importance to the environment and Hawaiian culture — left woodworkers with limited supply heading into this century.
Now, the state and private sector are teaming up to find a path forward for the tree that once covered most of the land in Hawaii.
Koa is not endangered — tens of thousands of acres still dot the islands — but it is estimated that only 10% of its former coverage is left. Now, state agencies responsible for protecting natural resources have made it a goal to better manage its use, mitigate its misuse and grow more of the prized tree.
