“The Hawaiian Legacy Reforestation Initiative (HLRI) today announced the planting of its 500,000th native tree in Hawaii. More than 1,200 acres of former pastureland on both Oahu and Hawaii Island have been reclaimed and returned to native forest. ‘It’s wonderful to witness the birth of a forest, but there is much more going on here. This project goes beyond just planting trees. It is developing entire native ecosystems, right down to the shrubs, flowers, and grasses. We are seeing unparalleled research and development advances and seeing the return of the endangered birds that historically occupied these lands. The `io (Hawaiian hawk), the pueo (Hawaiian owl), and the nene (Hawaiian goose) all have taken up residence again in the Legacy Forests. It’s remarkable how fast these changes are happening,’ said HLRI Board Chairman Francis Wong.
In addition, the Legacy Forests are creating permanent green jobs, reducing the effects of climate change through carbon sequestration, restoring our watershed, and producing the air that we breathe. Experts estimate that over the 50-year lifetime of a single tree, it will produce $31,250 worth of oxygen and $62,000 worth of air pollution control. Each tree will recycle $37,500 worth of water and prevent $31,250 of soil erosion. This data suggests that one tree will produce a societal benefit of $162,000. Given the fact that 500,000 trees have been planted in the Legacy Forests, the sponsors of these trees have collectively given the state of Hawaii a gift worth $81 billion.”
View the whole story here: https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2020/02/18/1986165/0/en/Hawaiian-Legacy-Reforestation-Initiative-Plants-500-000th-Tree.html