There was a special group of Santa’s little helpers that weren’t at the North Pole Wednesday.
Instead, they spent the morning on the slopes of Mauna Kea, using dibble bars to poke holes in the ground next to rows of yellow flags, and planting seedlings of Douglas, noble and grand firs.
In five to seven years, these trees will likely be ready for an axe or chain saw, to serve as holiday decor.
Part of the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands Aina Mauna Legacy Program, this Christmas tree demonstration project involves importing and propagating seeds, as well as outplanting trees on DHHL land in the Humuula and Piihonua ahupuaa.
The plan is to plant 1,600 trees on 2 acres every three years, said Hawaii Forest Industry Association Executive Director Heather Simmons.
The project received approximately $23,500 in grants from DHHL, Hawaii Department of Agriculture, Hawaii County Department of Research and Development, Hawaii Forest Industry Association and Hawaii Forest Institute, Simmons said.
Major goals include showing these Christmas tree species are suitable for Hawaii production; establishing protocols to grow top-quality trees that can compete with and replace imported trees in local markets; helping promote the “Buy Local, It Matters” initiative; and generating a cash flow for the agency, DHHL forester Mike Robinson said.
“How can you be self-sufficient if you must rely on others to give you money and take care of you,” he said. “This is an empowering opportunity for Native Hawaiians to control their destiny by managing lands that they have control over and perpetuate it in ways that are appropriate.”
The trees grown on DHHL land will be sold more or less at market prices. If 800 trees survived on an acre and become merchantable, and are sold at $15 each, a grower can expect to earn $12,000 per acre during a seven- to 10-year period, Robinson said. Proceeds from the tree sales will go back into the project for planting more trees, ongoing maintenance and educational activities and materials.
Organizers hope this project becomes a model for other landowners in the state and leads to hundreds of acres of Christmas trees on several islands.
“Locally grown Christmas trees are also considered by the Department of Land and Natural Resources to be a potentially new agricultural/forestry category,” according to the “Hawaii-grown Christmas Tree Market Potential” analysis conducted by SMS for DLNR.
Locally grown trees also provide a solution to concerns about shipments of Christmas trees from the mainland, which can introduce invasive species.
The project’s first phase is to establish a successful Christmas tree farm on 2 acres of land. Roughly 20 volunteers helped outplant 1,400 trees Wednesday in a remote area and another planting day will likely happen in November. Such volunteer events are key, Robinson said.
“Volunteers get the experience of planting trees, but more importantly, they get into areas they’ve never been and they get to malama the aina and give something back,” he said. “We take so much, but we often don’t give enough back. This is a chance for them to do that.”
Ke Ana Laahana Public Charter School junior Danielle Souza volunteered to learn more about the different types of Christmas trees and why such an industry would be good for Hawaii Island. She thinks planting trees is important because the act brings “goodness and beauty to the aina.”
Wednesday’s site was selected because of its ideal characteristics, such as having full sun, adequate rain and room for rooting. Its difficult access is intended to prevent theft and vandalism, Robinson said.
Eventually, DHHL would like to put the trees closer to more accessible areas. The intention is to eventually provide the family holiday tradition of visiting a tree farm to pick out and cut a tree to bring home, he added.
The seedlings were grown from imported seeds from Canada, California and Oregon. The original plan to use imported seedlings was dismissed after discovering such plants might carry the soil-borne disease Phytophthora ramorum, which causes sudden oak death, which native plants such as koa, ohelo and pukiawe have shown susceptibility to, said Hawaii Research Center horticulturalist and researcher Aileen Yeh. Douglas, noble and grand firs were selected because these species were determined to be noninvasive.
In this first year, the young trees will be fertiziled and the weeds controlled. Those that die will be replaced. In Years 2 and 3, the trees will be pruned from the bottom and on the side to ensure a perfect Chirstmas tree, Robinson said.
The DHHL Aina Mauna Legacy Program strives to restore and protect approximately 56,000-acres of native forest that’s ecologically, culturally and economically self-sustaining for the Hawaiian Home Lands Trust, its beneficiaries and the community.
After 150 years of sheep and cattle ranching, the formerly dense koa and mamane forest here has become significantly altered and the landscape is now mostly open pasture land. Gorse — a noxious weed species — is threatening habitats and rendering thousands of acres useless. Field trials and research projects have shown high levels of shade — about 90 to 95 percent — from trees prevent gorse from growing and spreading. Commercial-scale planting projects such as this one can help shade the gorse sufficiently, keeping it from producing seeds, growing and spreading, as well as possibly kill it, Robinson said.
“It’s nature fighting nature. Let nature control nature for us,” he said. “Then, we’ll replace the shade trees with native tree species like koa, ohia and mamane once the gorse seed germination is no longer a threat, and turn it back into the forest it should be.”
Simmons said the Mauna Aina Christmas Tree Demonstration Project also is part of the Hawaii Forest Institute’s Mahala Aina: Give Back to the Forest program. It’s one of 14 restoration and demonstration projects on four islands, helping ensure forests for future generations.
To get involved or find more information about the Christmas tree project or any of the other forest projects currently on tap, visit hawaiiforest.org.
Email Carolyn Lucas-Zenk at clucas-zenk@westhawaiitoday.com.
