Forest Stewardship Program Project Proposal
20Nov2006
Applicant and Property Information
| Applicant Names: |
John Lindelow, Roz Rapozo |
| Mailing Address: |
PO Box 61449, Honolulu, HI 96839 |
| Property Address: |
44-5350 Waikaalulu Road, Honokaa, HI 96727 |
| Email: |
cybernet@lava.net |
| Phone: |
808-554-0448 |
| FAX: |
808-732-0167 |
| Tax Map Key Number: |
4-4-013-010 |
| State and County Zone designation: |
Ag 5 |
| Elevation: |
2900-3000' |
| Rainfall: |
100"/year |
| Slope: |
gently sloping with ~10% average grade |
| Total Property Acreage: |
24 Acres |
Acres of Proposed Stewardship
Management Area:
|
12 acres |
Photos of Land
Can Be Found At:
|
http://ahulani.com/photos1/photos1.html |
Location & Description of Project Property
General Location Map near Honokaa, Island of Hawaii
Green Pointer Indicates Subject Property
Due to damage from the 15Oct06 earthquake, Sand Gulch is closed. This means that one must come up from Paaulo on Pohakea and Paauilo-Mauka Roads to get to Waikaalulu Road.
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Portion of TMK Map Showing Neighboring Lands
Portion of 4-4-013 TMK Map.
State of Hawaii General Lease lands are to West and South.
Upper portions of both parcels were recently restricted for Palila critical habitat mitigation purposes.
Kalopa Gulch borders property on West (uppermost in this map) and continues up Mauna Kea to the South (left on map), and forms the boundary between the two blocks of State leased land.
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Sketch of Property
- Hatched area is proposed for inclusion in the Stewardship Management Area. This area is currently primarily Ohia (Metrosideros polymorpha) forest.
- Three gray lines represent gulches that are mostly dry except when significant rain falls.
- Three pond areas exist (in blue). Only the central pond has water year-round. The other two ponds fill only with rain and are soon dry again, so need liners.
- Elevations lines are approximate with interval of about 10'.
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Existing Vegetation
The vegetation on the land is a mix of native Ohia (Metrosideros polymorpha) forest (mostly red with some yellow) and open, former pasture land. We currently have one old growth Koa tree, one that's perhaps 25 years old, 5-10 that are around 15 years old, and 35-40 that are around 3 years old. Other native species that have been identified include akala (Rubus hawaiensis, Hawaiian raspberry), maia (Musaceae, banana), kalo (Colocasia esculenta), palapalai (Microlepia strigosa, lace fern), hapuu (Cibotium splendens, tree fern), palaa (Sphenomeris chinensis, another lace fern), awa (Piper methysticum, kava), maile (Alyxia oliviformis), ilima (Sida fallax), and ama'u (Sadleria cyatheoides).
The existing forested land corresponds fairly closely with the shaded area on the Sketch of the Property, above. The dominant tree is Ohia, with an understory of hapuu, akala, and various lace ferns. Existing Koa (both old growth and most newly planted) grows within the Ohia forest.
Primary invasives are Eucalyptus Robusta and strawberry guava (Psidium cattleianum), which primarily inhabit the West end of the property along and within Kalopa Gulch. There is also some strawberry guava that has invaded the main parts of the Ohia forest (primarily the ridges). The Eucalytus growth ends at our property, and at higher elevations in the gulch is Ohia, Koa (Acacia Koa), and some Sandalwood (Santalum freycinetianum). Other non-natives have been planted in controlled garden and orchard areas, including a variety of fruit trees, flowers, and garden vegetables.
Existing Wildlife
We think of our land as a bird sanctuary and, as such, we don't have any cats or dogs. Birds include io, pueo and barn owls, native highland species that ocassionally visit, kalij pheasants, ring neck pheasants, blue herons (ocassionaly), and, of course, turkeys. We also raise some chickens for eggs (no roosters). We have mongoose which we actively trap. We have pigs which we try to keep out, mainly via fencing. Pasture lands surround us, and an ocasional bull or horse will get in, and then we gently escort them out.
Currently, we actively trap mongoose and wild cats around the main buildings using live traps. We are regularly invaded by mongoose and seek to keep the population as low as possible as a means of protecting our bird population. We plan on expanding mongoose trapping under this proposal.
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Land Use for the Entire Property
| |
Pasture |
Crop
Land |
Sugar
Cane |
Range
Land |
Forest
Grazed |
Forest
Non-Grazed |
Retreat Center/
Residential |
| Historic |
X |
|
|
X |
X |
X |
X |
| Current |
X |
X |
|
|
|
X |
X |
| Proposed |
X |
X |
|
|
|
X |
X |
Existing and Proposed Fencing
The property is currently fenced on the North, South, and East sides with fence appropriate for keeping cows and horses out. The West side borders Kalopa Gulch and is not fenced. The existing fences are NOT adequate to keep out pigs, as we have frequent intrustions at present, and we are constantly "band aiding" the fences where we find the pigs are coming through.. We propose installing pig-proof fencing on the West side (approx 800 feet) and upgrading all other fences to be pig-proof (approx 3900 feet). Costs indicated are educated guesses and may need revision once actual costs for pig-proof fencing is determined.
Forest Management Objectives
- Growth and management of forests for timber and other forested products. This is a LONG TERM goal. We do not expect a harvest or a return for decades.
- Native Species restoration and habitat improvement. We are very interested in bringing back native species, especially Koa (Acacia Koa) and Sandalwood (Santalum freycinetianum).
- Watershed, Riparian, and/or Wetland Protection and Improvement. The property contains three pond areas, which we are interested in developing as viable habitat for waterfowl. The central pond is a permanent pond that exists year-round. Blue herons are occasionally seen at this pond. The ponds in the southeast and northwest corners of the property currently have water only after rains. They need to be lined to hold water and become permanent or semi-permanent ponds. Our desire is to obtain funding from Fish & Wildlife or another source and create habitat for endangered Hawaii waterfowl, in particular the Hawaiian Duck (Anas wyvilliana). Guidance for cooperative funding would be appreciated.
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Proposed Practices and Species Selection
- Management Plan
- Site Preparation
- Fencing
- Fertilization/SOil Amendments
- Seedling Acquisition
- Planting
- Weed Control/Mulching
- Intensive Revegetaion and Special Areas
- Non-commercial thinning
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Species Proposed to Plant, Thinning
We are most interested in planting Koa and possibly Sandalwood (Santalum freycinetianum), but are open to other compatible non-native tree species as well. The existing Ohia forest provides an excellent habitat for Koa and Sandalwood, and we have been planting already. Our goal is to have all of the existing forested regions be a healthy Ohia-Koa forest, and to expand that forest into some of the existing pasture areas as well. We'd also like to eventually replace some the Eucalyptus Robusta on the West end of the property bordering Kalopa Gulch.
Possible understory plants that could be planted, as suggested by J.B. Friday, include Charpentiera ovata (papala), Rhus sandwicensis (neneleau), Ilex anomla (kawa`u), Cheirodendron trigynum (`olapa), Coprosma spp. (pilo), Psychotria spp. (kopiko), Melicope spp. (`alani), Broussaisia (kanawao), Pipterus albidus (mamaki), Perrotettia sandwicensis (olomea), Antidesma platyphyllum (hame), Myrsine lessertiana (naio), Metrisideros polymorpha (`ohi`a), and pisonia brunoniana (papala kepau). Most of these are small understory trees or shrubs.
Possible non-native species that could be grown commercially, again as suggested by J.B. Friday, include Eucalyptus microcorys (tallowwood) and Toona ciliata (toon). These could be grown in a small area as a high-value species with a local market.
Planting of Koa and possibly sandalwood would be done primarily within the existing Ohia forest, which corresponds for the most part to the hatched area in the Property Sketch. We would also plant in some of the pasture areas, with the goal of creating native forest "from the ground up".
We do anticipate the need to thin the existing Ohia forest in some areas, in order to optimize conditions for Koa growth. This would produce, as a by-product, Ohia that could be sold commercially as fence posts or decorative poles.
Vendor or Location for Seed or Planting Stock
In the past, we have obtained Koa seedlings from the State. We would acquire seedlings from the State, and/or from commercial suppliers. A list of nurseries that we might use is included at the end of this proposal, courtesy of J.B. Friday.
J.B. Friday has also suggested that we might obtain Koa seeds from local trees and then have a nursery raise the seedlings from those seeds. This would likely enhance the viability of the seedlings for our area, and would likely produce trees that are more resistant to Koa wilt.
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Public Benefits of The Proposed Project
- Native ecosystem and biodiversity restoration
- Watershed improvement/protection
- Native wildlife habitat enhancement
- Provision of educational and ecotourism opportunities
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Ecotourism and Education Opportunities
Our property is uniquely situated to be a base for ecotourism and educational opportunities because part of the property was developed by previous owners as a retreat center. The main building contains around 11 bedrooms, a large kitchen and dining living area, and a large multi-purpose round room. It is ideally suited as a place for educational workshops and visits by ecotourists. The owners have been attempting (so far unsuccessfully) to obtain, from the County of Hawaii, the necessary Use Permit that would allow such educational workshops to take place on a 3 acres portion of the property.
Our vision is to combine forest stewardship, wildlife habitat restoration, sustainable energy practices, and education to create a facility that could be utilized as a vital learning center. The combination of part of the land being dedicated to forest stewardship and wildlife protection, and another part utilized for on-site educational workshops in these fields and others, is, we think, a viable possibility for this property.
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About The Owners
The subject property is owned, in equal parts, by John Lindelow and Roz Rapozo. John and Roz own an Internet-based travel company, Travel Hawaii (http:/Travel-Hawaii.com). They are also founding members of the World Turtle Trust (http://World-Turtle-Trust.org), a Hawaii-based sea turtle conservation organization dedicated to sea turtle conservation worldwide. The WTT is currently assisting the funding of the hawksbill project at Hawaii Volcanos National Park.
All three owners are thoroughly committed to the principles of the forest stewardship program, and will happily provide their authorization for this project and its concomitant long-term contractual commitment.
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Organizations that will be involved in the project
Our intention is to build partnerships with the State and Federal governments and appropriate non-profit and for-profit organizations in order to reach the goals laid out in this proposal. In addition to the State Forest Stewardship Program, we will be communicating with the US Fish & Wildlife Service and the National Resources Defense Council about possible funding assistance for the riparian areas.
We would also like to explore working with the Hawaii Community College's T.E.A.M program on educational opportunities and possible internships.
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Estimated Costs (over 10 years)
| Practice Component |
Acres |
Cost |
Frequency
or # of acre |
Actual
Total
Cost |
Stewardship
Cost-Share |
FSP
Cost-Share
Amount |
| Management Plan |
1 Plan |
$4,000 |
|
$4,000 |
$1,000 |
$3,000 |
| Site Preparation |
12 |
$800 |
1 |
$9,600 |
$4,800 |
$4,800 |
| Weed Control & Mulching |
12 |
$400 |
per year |
$48,000 |
$24,000 |
$24,000 |
| Seedling Acquisition |
12 |
$1,000 |
250 trees/acre
@$2.50/tree |
$12,000 |
$6,000 |
$6,000 |
| Planting |
12 |
$300 |
1 |
$3,600 |
$1,800 |
$1,800 |
| Fencing-New Pig Proof |
|
$2.50/ft |
800 ft |
$2,000 |
$500 |
$1,500 |
| Fencing-Upgrade Existing to Pig Proof |
|
$1.50/ft |
4000 ft |
$6,000 |
$2,000 |
$4,000 |
| Trapping of Mongoose & Wild Cats |
12 |
$50 |
per year |
$6,000 |
$3,000 |
$3,000 |
| Non-commercial thinning |
12 |
$100 |
per year1 |
$12,000 |
$6,000 |
$6,000 |
| TOTALS |
|
|
|
$103,200 |
$49,100 |
$54,100 |
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