Future of sandalwood trees gets attention at Legislature

Just chill.

This is going to be a contentious election year. Everyone is already picking sides on whether or not we like rail, Linda Lingle, the economy or the Republican Party.

So before the campaign season comes to consume all in its path, think about something nice.

Think about sweet-smelling sandalwood trees.

Former City Councilman Leigh-Wai Doo, one of those fellows who are usually the brightest person in the room, is worried about sandalwood.

You probably haven’t seen a sandalwood tree, but because of the forests of sandalwood scattered across the islands, Hawaii was once known in China as the Sandalwood Mountains.

Doo is pushing a bill to prohibit the cutting of sandalwood trees. If he had his way, even these trees on your own property would be off limits.

As it was amended last week in the Legislature, HB 1793 would require a permit to log sandalwood on private property, require replanting to replace the logs harvested and a process to control the harvesting of the trees.

According to Doo, the tree is as fascinating as our state and tied directly to Hawaii’s growth, starting more than 200 years ago.

"There are probably trees in the mountains that first started growing when Kamehameha the Great was alive," says Doo, who is director of the Sun Yat Sen Hawaii Foundation.

In testimony supporting Doo’s idea, William Aila, state land and natural resources director, said, "The decline in abundance of sandalwood can be attributed to the harvesting of Santaluin (sandalwood) species for the high international demand for the sweet-smelling qualities of the wood."

The story of the tree’s link to Hawaii is much more interesting then a government description.

Before sandalwood, Hawaii was not in a position to trade or really open its ports to foreign countries, says Doo.

With Hawaii selling sandalwood to China, Hawaii — or, more specifically, Hawaiian royalty — suddenly became rich.

Sandwood traders were the dot.com millionaires of their age.

"Historically, sandalwood trade was the turning point of Hawaii, going from a self-sufficient economy to a commercial economy. It was Hawaii’s first source of revenue, and major debt," says Doo.

Angela Kay Kepler, in her book "Hawaiian Heritage Plants," writes how the trade between Hawaii and China intensified, until Chinese silks, embroideries, Moroccan leather and other luxuries were offered in return for boats filled with the mountain wood.

"Shrewd and often unethical Western traders deceived Hawaiians for as long as they could … The king’s tastes underwent progressive refinement. Whatever they saw, they wanted, regardless of price," Kepler wrote.

"With the consent of eager traders, whole shiploads of extravagant purchases were accepted on credit to be delivered later. Royal debts mounted and the poor commoners were packed off to the mountains to gather every precious scrap of the wood."

The end of the sandalwood trade, Kepler wrote, resulted in "the destruction of precious lives, the pain and hardship of the people, the decline in self-sufficiency and irreparable damage to Hawaii’s forests."

Today, a new and wealthy China is again searching for the fragrant wood and there is a need, says Doo, for Hawaii to protect what little sandalwood is left and to encourage its growth.

The battle to save the graceful, ancient and historic trees of Hawaii can get us prepared to appreciate how vital every looming political battle can become.

Richard Borreca writes on politics on Sundays, Tuesdays and Fridays. Reach him at rborreca@staradvertiser.com