Sound forest management depends on accurate and timely information to determine growth rates, general forest condition, financial maturity and suitability for harvesting.

Forest Solutions has adopted specific methodologies to accurately and efficiently collect and report inventory data for your property. We have developed in-house volume functions for the most common timber species in Hawaiʻi, including koa, ʻiliahi (sandalwood), and Eucalyptus grandis. We have further developed methods to prepare timber volume estimates without the use of pre-defined functions, tailoring the inventory to the specific property and log specifications desired.

Most of our foresters have been trained in the latest for inventory techniques by the experts in the field, including Dr. Kim Iles and the late Dr. John Bell. We follow their lead in finding the most efficient and accurate ways to quantify Hawaiʻi’s forests, using the latest technology including the Vertex Hypsometer and drones.

Our most common inventories include the following methods:

Point sampling (aka prism sampling) - Ideal for large tracts of native forest that contain sufficient target trees. Used commonly in thick native forests with more than 30 sqft/acre of koa, also used in most plantation species, such as Eucalyptus grandis Eucalyptus saligna or Eucalyptus robusta.

3-P sampling - Ideal for smaller properties with less than 500 visited trees or larger properties with very sparse target trees. Used commonly to sample ʻiliahi and sparse koa.

Stratified fixed area plot sampling: Suitable for large properties, this combines the use of a drone or satellite imagery with a sub-sampling of field plots to cover very large areas in difficult terrain with sparse to moderate target species cover. Used for sparse koa and ʻiliahi, but can also be used for shrubs or other non-timber species.

A well designed road moves people and resources into the forest efficiently and doubles as a firebreak. Improved roads also reduce crew travel time, which makes other forest work more cost effective.

Forest Solutions has designed and improved forest roads for the last 15 years through a network of expert contractor builders. Our foresters can help you design an efficient road alignment, considering the need to move workers, prevent fires or extract logs. In the field, we implement erosion control by implementing Best Management Practices:

Crown road surfaces wherever possible

Provide plenty of drainage through broad-based ditches and water bars

Reduce slopes wherever possible to below 10% grade

Avoid cut and fill operations wherever possible

Avoid waterway crossings

Forest roads can also serve as vectors for weed seeds. Our foresters have developed unique methods to avoid weed spread for the different substrates found in Hawaiʻi, favoring non-invasive grasses in some areas, long-life pre-emergent herbicides in others and even moisture-absorbing agents in areas with dust control problems. Our solutions for your road network will depend on the the use, severity of weeds and probability of future erosion. We can help sort through the options to get the best results possible.

Forest Solutions is the only company that has successfully certified a forest in Hawaiʻi under the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) in 2005, a certificate that was maintained until 2015.

A certified forest means that, according to internationally recognized standards, and through a detailed audit by forestry professionals, the forest is certified as well managed.

There are numerous benefits to having your forest certified, including access into certain wood product markets and contributing to LEED certification in building.

Contact us to learn more about getting your forest property in Hawaiʻi certified.

In order to manage your land it is important to understand what you are dealing with. Forest Solutions expert foresters regularly conduct land assessments which detail vegetation type and cover, presence of invasive weeds and/or pests, soil conditions, fire risk and firefighting infrastructure, road infrastructure, and forest quality. We prepare detailed maps and modern geodatabases to display and store the data and prepare professional reports that serve as the basis for sound long-term land management.  

Forest Solutions has successfully controlled invasive weeds on thousands of acres of forest, open land and pasture. We have developed methods to successfully control most forest weed species found in Hawaiʻi, including some of the most invasive and difficult to manage, such as Himalayan yellow-berry, miconia, gorse, strawberry guava, albizia and ginger. Our weed control prescriptions carefully follow an Integrated Pest Management methodology, considering not only the weed but also the forest health context in which it is growing, thereby recommending forest the best forest improvement strategies. All of our foresters are certified pesticide applicators.

Planting trees is fundamental to our existence, Forest Solutions was created in 1996 specifically to plant and manage 20,000 acres on Hawaiʻi Island. We continue planting; to date we have planted just over 1 million native seedlings on 2,000 acres, bringing our overall total to 19 million trees and shrubs. In the past year alone, we planted 200,000 seedlings on 500 acres, easily making us the largest native forest establishment organization in the State.

Forest Solutions manages the Kealakekua Forest Nursery in South Kona, producing 120,000 to 150,000 native trees and shrubs per year.

To quantify progress in land management goals we started a network of native forest vegetation plots 15 years ago. These plots quantify vegetation by strata and provide a consistent measure of forest development through time. To accomplish this, we developed a unique summery internship that joins aspiring professionals with cultural and ecology experts in a hands-on training and data gathering exercise.

As a company that is devoted to the preservation and restoration of Hawaiʻi’s rich cultural and archeological resources, Forest Solutions project managers have the skills, expertise, and technical training that is required to perform work in and around some of Hawaiʻi’s most treasured historical features. From complex vegetation removal projects to native species outplanting and ongoing maintenance, we have the ability to perform a variety of tasks in and around heiau (temples), hale (house sites), and other culturally sensitive areas in a way that not only perpetuates traditional Hawaiian cultural practices but also aids in the process of caring for and revitalizing each unique site.