Forests and Farming

How Forestry & Wildlife supports agriculture and farming in Hawai'i

Kōkua Farm workers planting

At the Division of Forestry & Wildlife, supporting agriculture is part of who we are. The Division of Forestry & Wildlife was the first forestry agency in the nation, and was created in part because Hawaiʻi's farmers understand that their supply of water depends on forests. Farmers and ranchers helped to create Forestry & Wildlife, and have partnered with the division on establishing the  Natural Area Reserves ,  hoofed-animal fencing to protect forests , and  controlling invasive species . Forestry & Wildlife now manages a variety of programs that benefit local farmers and encourage diversified agriculture in Hawaiʻi. As Hawaiʻi's agricultural industry changes over time, the need for water (and the forests that provide it) continues to be a top priority. In this StoryMap we explore the historic relationship between Forestry & Wildlife and agriculture, and how our current programs support Hawaiʻi's farmers and ranchers.

Niu Now farm

A Brief History of Forestry & Wildlife's Relationship to Agriculture

  • 1892: The Bureau of Agriculture and Forestry is created as part of the Kingdom of Hawaiʻi
  • 1903: The new Territory of Hawaiʻi establishes the Board of Commissioners of Agriculture and Forestry, including creation and management of forest reserves
  • 1905: The Forest Reserve System is established in Hawaiʻi. Fencing for livestock exclusion is one of the tools used for forest protection.
  • 1959: Upon statehood, the Board of Commissioners of Agriculture and Forestry is replaced by the Department of Land and Natural Resources and the Department of Agriculture and Conservation.
  • May 11, 1960: The new Board of Land and Natural Resources meets for the first time and includes the director of the Department of Agriculture and Conservation as an automatic, ex-officio board member.
  • 1961: The Forestry and Fish and Game Divisions are transferred to the Department of Land and Natural Resources and become the Division of Forestry and Wildlife. The Department of Agriculture and Conservation is renamed as the Department of Agriculture.
  • 2003: The interagency Hawaiʻi Invasive Species Council is established, co-chaired by the chairpersons of the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Land and Natural Resources. The Council is administratively housed in the Division of Forestry & Wildlife.

MA'O Farms

Agricultural programs at Forestry & Wildlife

1. Forest Stewardship Program

The   Forest Stewardship Program  directly funds ranches and farms for agroforestry and invasive species control projects. Agroforestry is the integration of trees and shrubs into crop and/or animal farming systems to create environmental, economic, and social benefits. 

The following definitions are types of agroforestry that the Forest Stewardship Program supports:

Mixed agroforest: Mixed agroforests are closed-canopy forests with high species diversity and complex canopy structure and arrangement installed for food production, controlling invasive species, increasing species diversity, increasing carbon sequestration, or improving water and soil quality, wildlife habitat, and soil erosion control.

Forest farming: Planting of non-timber forest products under a forest canopy that is established, modified or maintained to provide shade and habitat that improve productivity and ecosystem health and diversity. 

Alley cropping: Trees or shrubs planted in sets of single or multiple widely-spaced rows, creating “alleys” in which agricultural crops are grown.

Silvopasture: the deliberate integration of trees and grazing livestock operations on the same land as an intensively managed system.

The following map shows a couple examples of DOFAW's Forest Stewardship projects:

Haleakalā Ranch

Hoku Nui

Haleakalā Ranch

Haleakalā Ranch is implementing a 100 acre native forest restoration project. They are developing a type of silvopastoral practice in which they utilize livestock to do initial weed control before outplanting overstory species. They will repeat this approximately 6 years after outplanting for follow up weed control. These photos depict the effectiveness of utilizing livestock for weed control.

For more information:  Haleakalā Ranch 

Hoku Nui

Hoku Nui is a 258 acre site with a 13.5 acre Forest Stewardship project. 4.9 acres of the Forest Stewardship project are used for multistory agroforestry in a multistory bio diverse system including native trees and shrubs to provide ecosystem services, cultural connection, and potentially serve a minor role in providing native habitat to complement the native forest plantings. Production from this agroforest will supply the local market with fresh produce and help cover the costs of the other forestry management objectives. A secondary benefit to the community is the visibility of the project from Pi‘iholo Road, serving as a demonstration to others for planting biodiverse food systems as an alternative to monocultures.

The first image is of the agroforestry layered system: in the background are wind break plants that shelter the growing plants in the mid, and foreground and taller canopy plants and ground cover/canopy floor plants are growing throughout. Hoku Nui starts their agroforests with taller plants and wind break plants intermixed, then later adds ground cover and canopy floor plants. In the second image is a kalo taro patch adjacent to the agroforests at Hoku Nui. They sell these products to help raise money for their agroforests.

For more information:  Hoku Nui 

 

2. Kaulunani Urban & Community Forestry

Kaulunani Urban & Community Forestry program administers financial support in the form of cost-share grants via Kaulunani’s Grant Program. Some of the recipients of of these grants are farmers and agroforestry projects, like the following examples:

Niu Now

Niu Now's main focus is to cultivate niu (coconut) and educate the public about sustainable niu farming. The project began in the fall of 2017 with support from a small grant from UH System’s Sustainability Office, and continues with support from the State Department of Land and Natural Resources’ Kaulunani Urban Forestry Program and other organizations. Niu Now has three nurseries across O'ahu that have over 20 different varieties of niu. Volunteers comprise niu knowledge holders, farmers, researchers, and aloha ʻāina practitioners.

For more information:  Niu Now 

Amy Greenwell’s Roots and Shoots Ulu for the Future project

Situated in historic Kealakekua ahupua‘a and overlooking the Bay on Hawai'i island, the 13-acre Amy B. H. Greenwell Ethnobotanical Garden mission “supports Hawaiian cultural traditions of land use and plants, and conserves the plant resources of traditional Hawaiian cultural activities." Kaulunani's Grant Program funds Amy Greenwell's Roots and Shoots Ulu for the Future Project, which "responds to the challenge of the pandemic and relies on Hawaiian tradition to promote food security, families across our island, beauty, and a greener Hawai’i." The project's garden gives away ulu to the community and teaches community members how to grow their own ulu.

Kokua Hawaiʻi Foundation‘s Kokua Learning Farm

The Kōkua Hawai‘i Foundation (KHF), a 501(c)3 non-profit organization founded in 2003 by Kim and Jack Johnson, supports environmental education in the schools and communities of Hawai‘i. Their mission is to provide students with experiences that will enhance their appreciation for and understanding of their environment so they will be lifelong stewards of the earth. KHF recently acquired 8 acres of land in the heart of Haleʻiwa town with a vision to establish agricultural, educational, and retail activities that benefit the community and promote local food, waste reduction, and environmental stewardship. 

The ʻĀINA Demonstration Gardens area is an expansion of the curriculum garden beds located at many schools around Oʻahu. The Loʻi, Hawaiian Garden, and Native Wetlands serve as a pocket of indigenous landscape supporting native fauna, propagation materials for other similar projects, and a source of lei and laʻau lapaʻau (medicinal) plants for workshops. A few rows of orchard crops, grown to demonstrate principles of mixed agroforestry, support grafting and air-layering workshops for students, as well as provide food for field trips and the ʻĀINA Farm Stand. The production fields contribute to local food systems by growing produce for sale through the ʻĀINA Farm Stand and other vendors.

Photo captions:

(Right) Kōkua Learning Farm Spring Youth Interns plant the first trees in the Kōkua Learning Farm agroforest! 

(Left) Kōkua Hawaiʻi Foundation Co-Founder Jack Johnson and Grow Fruit Hawaiʻi Founder Drew Wilkinson plant a lemon tree in the citrus island section of the Kōkua Learning Farm agroforest

For more information visit their  website .

3. Legacy Land Conservation Program

DLNR’s Legacy Land Conservation Program (LLCP) provides grants to community organizations and government agencies that strive to purchase and protect land that shelters exceptional, unique, and endangered resources, including land that has value as a resource to the State for the preservation of agricultural production. Some grantees purchase and operate farmland that fell out of production and is threatened with conversion to other land uses, while others buy a conservation easement that helps keep land in production, under its current ownership, while adding perpetual protections for preservation of additional resource values, such as watershed, habitat, and open space. The following are some LLCP examples:

MA'O Farms

Hakipu'u Lo'i Kalo

Maka‘alae and Mokae

Kaunāmano

Waikapuna

MA'O Farms

Completed in 2019, MA'O farms is 21.1 acres of fertile, level ground in Wai'anae, O'ahu. MA'O Farms greatly expands the capacity of the Wai'anae Community Re-development Corporation to grow food and grow young minds through its employment and educational programs, while preserving a prime target for land use conversion as open agricultural space.

"Installation of the irrigation system provided a great teaching opportunity for MA'O's Farm Apprentices and the summer Farm Expansion Experience (FE'E) interns, illustrating the integral role that youth are serving in the farm development." - MA'O Farms

For more information:  MA'O Farms 

Hakipu'u Lo'i Kalo

Hakipu'u Lo'i Kalo is a 1.5 acre wetland taro farm in Ko'olaupoko, O'ahu. These lo‘i have been in active cultivation since ancient times, and are some of the last lo‘i in Hakipu‘u. The nonprofit, Trust for Public Land, worked in partnership with descendants, and the Hakipu‘u community to protect these loʻi kalo which were threatened with sale and development. In 2020, the State of Hawai‘i DLNR DOFAW’s Legacy Land Conservation Program contributed funding toward the conservation acquisition in exchange for a deed restriction that ensures this land is protected forever. Now Hakipu'u Lo'i Kalo is owned by community nonprofit Hoʻāla ‘Āina Kūpono, which stewards the land through ‘āina based educational programs, in partnership with the Hakipu‘u community. Hakipu'u Lo'i Kalo "will remain a kalo farm and serve as an outdoor classroom where students can learn about regenerative agriculture, watershed and natural resource management, a living Hawaiian culture, and aloha ‘āina values."

Maka‘alae and Mokae

27 acres of high-value shoreline property in Hāna, Maui is a key step in local efforts by community-based Ke Ao Hali'i to "Save the Hāna Coast." Ke Ao Hali'i will manage public access, steward cultural resources, and partner with the existing tenant to continue pastoral uses. The four parcels at Maka‘alae include ocean front pastureland – intermittently used for grazing cattle – and the remains of the Reciprocity Sugar Mill (closed 1902), old stables, and other settlements. At Mokae II, three of the four parcels are a combination of ocean front pastureland, intermittently used for grazing cattle, and cultural/historic landscapes that include a number of historic settlement sites and the ruins of a manager's building.

Kaunāmano

Kaunāmano covers five undeveloped parcels of 1,363 acres between Nāʻālehu and Honu‘apo, fronting four miles of Ka‘ū coastline and reaching up to the 600-foot elevation. The entire property is licensed for cattle grazing. This frequently brings people in to help protect sensitive resources and provides a revenue stream to support future management actions.

For more information:  Ala Kahakai: Kaunāmano 

Waikapuna

2,317 acres in Ka'ū, Hawai'i added to a successful regional landscape conservation initiative that strives to protect resources along 80 miles of undeveloped coastline. Ala Kahakai Trail Association now stewards Waikapuna's many cultural sites, including over 2.3 miles of the ala loa coastal trail, and maintains agreements with local ranchers for cattle grazing.

For more information:  Ala Kahakai: Waikapuna 

4. Hawaiʻi Invasive Species Council (HISC)

 HISC  (an inter-departmental collaboration comprised of the Departments of  Land & Natural Resources (DLNR)  Agriculture (DOA)  Health (DOH)  Transportation (DOT)  Business, Economic Development & Tourism (DBEDT) , and the  University of Hawaiʻi (UH) ) is working on many invasive species issues critical for farming and ranching. DLNR funds and administers HISC. For example, HISC provides some of the funding needed to support the  Hawaiʻi Ant Lab ,  coqui  control, spittlebug control, rose-ringed parakeet control, coconut rhinoceros beetle control, and axis deer management, which are essential for farming and interisland commerce. HISC also funds  biocontrol projects  such as fireweed biocontrol to slow down some of agriculture’s most harmful pests.

What does Hawaii Ant Lab do?

Identify ant samples; Offer treatment advice; Conduct farm site visits to develop a treatment plan; Offer free farm visits to address the impacts of invasive ants, and other invasive species.

Why do we want to eradicate Little Fire Ants (LFA)?

Little Fire Ants infest agricultural fields and farms, where they damage crops and sting workers. They promote plant pests such as aphids, white flies and scale insects, which secrete plant sap that the ants eat. In turn, the ants protect these insects from natural predators and parasites. 

Two-lined Spittlebug Control

Two-lined spittlebug adults feed on grasses that cattle prefer. HISC has funded research in two-lined spittlebug control and Big Island Invasive Species Committee outreach efforts.

On the left are images of rangeland damaged by two-lined spittlebug in the mauka lands of Kailua-Kona, which resulted in the growth of invasive plants. On the right are images of a two-lined spittlebug feeding on a plant and the resulting plant death.

Rose-ringed Parakeet (RRP) Control

RRP are the most successful species of invasive parakeet worldwide. They pose a significant threat to agriculture in Hawai’i. RRP are herbivores and feed mainly on fruit and grain, causing damage to valuable food crops throughout the state. On Kaua’i, it has been estimated that RRP have caused an average of 10% in losses for small farms.

HISC staff have participated in efforts to increase outreach and to find new tools to control their population, including supporting and facilitating legislative appropriations related to this species.

Coconut Rhinoceros Beetle (CRB) Control

Coconut Rhinoceros Beetle adults damage living palms by either killing the tree due to direct damage, or opening up the tree to fatal damage from other insects or pathogens. CRB response is partially funded by HISC. HISC supports research at UH to control CRB, staffing for response effort and outreach. CRB response involves hanging panel traps across O'ahu like the one pictured, population monitoring, and outreach/education to involve the community in identification.

Axis Deer Management

Axis deer feed on crops and most fences fail to keep them out of agricultural land because they can jump over. HISC funded the  Big Island Invasive Species Committee  to remove all axis deer from the island, which was successful. There are now no axis deer on Hawaiʻi Island. Without funding for this successful completion of this project, Hawai'i Island farms and ranches could have been severely impacted by deer populations. HISC has also funded planning efforts for axis deer management on Maui.

Fireweed Biocontrol

Fireweed is toxic to livestock and thus, a huge threat to agriculture and farming in Hawai'i. Part of HISC's effort to control fireweed was the release of Madagascan fireweed moths, Secusio extensa, which voraciously consume the leaves of fireweed plants.

5. Watershed Partnerships Program

The  Watershed Partnerships Program  funds many needs of ranchers, and over a dozen ranches and farms are members of these partnerships. For example, WPP funds have supported gorse control and deer control that were threatening both ranches and forests. By protecting native forests, Watershed Partnerships protects the natural "green infrastructure" that creates the essential source of water used by farmers. Below are examples of farming and agriculture that benefit from the Watershed Partnerships Program:

Waiʻanae Mountains Watershed Partnership – Kaʻala Farm

Kohala Watershed Partnership

Waiʻanae Mountains Watershed Partnership – Kaʻala Farm

Kaʻala Farm restored ancient loʻi (taro). Kaʻala Ranch received a grant in aid (GIA) and DLNR helped to administer the GIA to Kaʻala Farms. Kaʻala Farm's lease is with DLNR to manage the former ranch land that borders the forest reserve. Through the Waiʻanae Mountains Watershed Partnership, DOFAW provides support through materials and supplies to assist management, recommending and consulting with potential management, working on firebreak area, building fences, operating heavy machinery, and being active in weed control and restoration.

For more information:  Kaʻala Farm 

Kohala Watershed Partnership

Kohala Watershed Partnership works to protect 1,900 acres of forested and wetland habitat by managing invasive species and disease and replanting in riparian corridors. These habitats feed reservoirs that provide water for municipal and agriculture use in Kohala. "This project feeds the Wailoa river, which supplies the community of Waipi‘o valley with water. This valley supports the largest community of taro farmers in Hawai‘i island. Taro is the most important food in native Hawaiian culture and farming requires terraces irrigated from canals that divert water from streams. Ancient Hawaiians understood the importance of forests for their source of water – as evidenced by the saying “hahai nō ka ua i ka ulu la‘au”  (the rain follows the forest). This project will help perpetuate the close connection between the forests and the native culture of Hawai‘i."

6. Commercial Forestry

Forestry & Wildlife manages a commercial forestry program that is designated as an agricultural land use. Some projects include  timber management  and  State Tree Nursery  windbreak tree sales. Timber management areas are State-owned lands designated for the sustainable production of forest products. There are currently three active timber management areas:

1

Waiākea Timber Management Area (WTMA)

Located on the northeast slopes of Mauna Loa, the Waiākea Timber Management Area (WTMA) is approximately 12,506 acres and is composed of non-native hardwood plantations that were planted with the intent for commercial harvesting. Predominant timber species of WTMA include Queensland maple, Eucalyptus saligna and grandis, Australian toon, and Tropical ash.

2

Kōke'e Timber Management Area (KTMA)

KTMA totals approximately 17,092 acres. Invasive, non-native, and sometimes native trees are harvested at KTMA. KTMA implements sustainable commercial management of non-native timber plantations, selective harvest of non-native or invasive species in areas outside of plantations, harvest of non-native and native trees for maintenance or hazard reduction, and salvage harvest of dead or dying native trees.

3

 Kapāpala Canoe Forest (KCF)

The Kapāpala Canoe Forest (KCF) is a 1,257 acre remnant koa forest located in Kaʻū Forest Reserve on the southeastern slopes of Mauna Loa on the island of Hawaiʻi. In 1989, the Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) set aside this unique native forest in response to a significant decline in koa trees due to past commercial harvesting and ranching activities. The primary purpose of the Kapāpala Canoe Forest is a source for koa canoe logs in perpetuity, on a sustainable and self-sustaining basis.  

For more information:  Kapāpala Canoe Forest 

Additional Agricultural Projects

In addition to the program areas above, Forestry & Wildlife partners directly with farmers and ranchers in a number of ways, including:

  • Federal grant applications: Forestry & Wildlife applies for many federal grants that directly support ranches. For example, $ 1.28m NFWF funds , portions of which are funding firebreaks and road maintenance for Kaʻala Ranch and Kamananui Ranch. Or,  $5m in NRCS funds   and many other RCPP grants DLNR has been awarded that have supported ranches for invasive species control (Ulupalakua Ranch and other ranches directly received money from these grants).
  • Fire-suppression grazing: Partnering with ranchers in certain forest reserves on grazing projects to keep fuel loads down while supporting local agriculture.
  • Maui agricultural park fencing: DOFAW is overseeing a project to fence the Maui Agricultural Park from invasive axis deer. These deer are very damaging to farmers’ crops. The Park consists of 31 farm lots with a total of 445 acres supporting 26 farmers with crops such as Kula onions, vegetables, turf grass, landscape nursery products, flowers, and dryland taro.

Kōkua Farm workers planting

Niu Now farm

MA'O Farms