The next generation of koa canoes will likely come from a remote forest in Kapāpala, Kaʻū on Hawaiʻi Island.
More than 30 years ago, the state set aside about 1,200 acres on the southeastern slopes of Maunaloa to serve as a sustainable source of koa for constructing canoes.
Now, dozens of these koa trees are ready for harvest, and a permitting process has been approved for people interested in acquiring logs for building racing, voyaging or fishing canoes.
David Smith, head of the state Division of Forestry and Wildlife, said the agency worked closely with a working group, made up of cultural practitioners and potential users, to develop this process.
"The idea is that a group of knowledgeable people formed with DOFAW and the working group would go in, decide what resources were available in terms of logs or trees or wood, and then put out a solicitation and people could apply for that," Smith said.
Smith added that resources will not just be going to big clubs that already have koa canoes.
"We’re trying to get this out and make it available so the smaller clubs, educational institutions — I know the high school out there in Ka’ū is interested in getting a log as an educational project. So, this allocation process would help figure out how to allocate those resources," he said.
The extensive permitting process prioritizes the allocation of koa to organizations in the surrounding community, as well as groups who do not currently have a koa canoe.
Smith said there are also a lot of dead and downed trees in the Kapāpala Canoe Forest, which may be the first to be offered up.
