Save the Mahogany Trees at the Honokaʻa County Park

why would you kill trees that don’t need to be killed is in our world messed up enough?

Appropriate planning on how to mitigate damage to parking stalls by collaborating with the community for ideas feasible to redirect root growth. It’s the responsible thing to do. In a world of convenience and fast solutions we need nature more than most people realize. I’m from Kona and a few months ago I drove to this lower parking lot and immediately felt serene peace and beauty these trees hold. This park would not be the same without these trees. Mahalo for your Kokua- honoka’a residents for standing up for what is right and for the benefit of future generations.

Please do not cut down these trees. The County is overdoing it. Check with arborists to see how to care for different species. People love these trees.

We respectfully urge Hawaiʻi County and the State of Hawaiʻi to pause the broad removal of the Cuban mahogany trees at Honokaʻa County Park and pursue a more careful, selective, and environmentally responsible solution. These trees are a mature canopy, a community gathering place, a source of shade and cooling, habitat for birds and other species, and part of the cultural memory of Honokaʻa. The 36 Cuban mahogany trees have shaded generations of families at Honokaʻa County Park and helped make the park usable year-round. We understand that safety and infrastructure concerns must be taken seriously. However, removing an entire grove should be the last resort, not the first response. We ask that the County pursue gentler, evidence-based alternatives, including: 1. Remove only trees that are independently assessed as dead, dying, or an immediate safety hazard. If only one tree has been clearly marked dead or hazardous, then only that tree should be considered for removal at this time. 2. Conduct an independent arborist assessment of each tree. Each tree should be evaluated individually for health, structural risk, root impact, and potential management options. 3. Address infrastructure impacts without defaulting to mass removal. Where roots are affecting pavement or parking areas, alternatives should be explored first, such as selective pruning, root-zone protection, permeable or flexible paving, curb redesign, root bridging, parking lot reconfiguration, and phased infrastructure repair. 4. Protect wildlife during nesting and breeding season. Removing all trees from one communal canopy space during active bird nesting and mating season could cause unnecessary harm. The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service notes that active nests with eggs or chicks are protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, and DLNR-related guidance for forest bird protection has used January 1 through June 30 as a forest bird breeding-season avoidance window in Hawaiʻi contexts.

We need old growth trees

Keep the trees! Find a different solution.

Except for the dead tree and the two that may be uprooting the parking lot, all of the trees should remain as they are.

Move the parking lot? Leave the trees alone! Like how long has it taken them to grow!! Wanna be like kona? Hot and no shade!!

Please save as many trees as can.

Please keep the trees for the people! We go together!!

Tree hugger*

None

Aloha nui I am a resident of Honoka'a for 15 years and this park has been a beloved place for my family and I. It is truly rare to find parks that offer beauty and shade and these trees support a feeling of comfort that is missing from other island parks. I understand that the roots are large, but I have yet to see them be a hazard. Most who frequent the park know these trees well and I imagine any newcomers would value the diversity and beauty there. As an observer over the years it is also rare that the parking lots are full or maxed enough to capacity with cars where the uneven pavement even poses a problem. I recommend keeping these trees, preserving the life-giving nature of them and discover alternative solutions . If there is a tree that may smdecompose, please consider hiring professionals who can mill the tree and make it useful to the community in turn. There are many millers on the island. All in all, it is concerning that decisions are made without community input and I know this community will show you that the majority is FOR saving these mahogany.

My family and I lots of time at the Honoka'a Park, these trees provide us with the shade that we need for our activities.

Save the shade and the beautiful Cuban Mahogany Trees

Hawaii arborist & treeworker. These trees do not need to come down. Please find other ways of mediation.

Protect our aina.

No comment

Move the parking lot, not the trees! They deserve to be there!

These are exceptional valuable trees. I enjoyed their shade during the RenFaire