COURTESY PHOTO The Nature Conservancy of Hawaii bought four parcels of land on Mauna Loa yesterday in its effort to protect native forests.

Donation helps
save forest land

The funds enable the Nature
Conservancy to buy 4 Big Isle tracts

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By Diana Leone
dleone@starbulletin.com

An anonymous donor helped the Nature Conservancy of Hawaii buy 3,548 acres of pristine native forest in the Kau region of the Big Island yesterday.

The four separate parcels, all adjacent to and makai of the state's Kau Forest Reserve, are dominated by native koa and ohia forests.

The Kau Forest is the largest and most intact expanse of native forest in the state and home to forest birds including the iiwi, apapane and amakihi and the io, or Hawaiian hawk, said conservancy spokesman Grady Timmons.

The conservancy paid a market price of $2.1 million to Mauna Kea Agribusiness, a C. Brewer & Co. subsidiary, Timmons said. C. Brewer recently announced it would sell all its Hawaii lands.

The four tracts are on the southwest flank of Mauna Loa volcano, up-slope from the coastal agricultural area between Waiohinu and Pahala. They range from 2,160 to 5,770 feet in elevation and include mountainous ridge lines, narrow plateaus and steep valleys.

Suzanne Case, the conservancy's acting executive director, praised the donor who made the purchase possible, saying, "We are deeply appreciative of the vision and commitment of this individual to protecting Hawaii's natural heritage."

Kim Hum, conservancy land protection director, said quick action was needed to protect the native forest.

"During the last century, the adjacent sugar cane fields were burned every eight months, keeping most weeds out of the forest," Hum said. "But the demise of sugar has opened up the old cane fields to new weed invasions, which in turn threaten the native forests."

Jon Giffin, Big Island district forestry and wildlife manager, said he would meet with conservancy representatives Monday to discuss cooperative plans for the area.

"We are very pleased to be able to ensure the long-term protection of this important watershed through a sale to the Nature Conservancy," said J. Alan Kugle, chief executive officer for real estate at C. Brewer.

The conservancy is a private, nonprofit organization that has a statewide system of 10 preserves totaling 27,000 acres and has participated in cooperative projects on another 175,000 acres.