State land officials say they saved $120,000 and several days of labor by partnering with the U.S. Army this week and using Army heavy-lift CH-47 Chinook cargo helicopters to transport 95,000 pounds of fence panels, poles and associated equipment to the summit of the Koolau Mountains.

The materials will be used to erect watershed protection fencing in the Poamoho Forest Reserve and the Kaluanui Natural Area Reserve — home to numerous rare and endangered plants and animals. Fencing projects have proven successful in protecting these plants and animals from destructive invasive species, like feral pigs.

The Department of Land and Natural Resources normally would use a Hughes 500 civilian helicopter to transport the materials. The Hughes 500 can carry approximately 800 pounds per load, at a cost of $1,000 per hour.

The Army’s Chinook can transport the materials in significantly less time: 10 trips, instead of the Hughes 500’s more than 120 trips. This translates to saving the state more than $120,000 in transport costs, and anywhere from six to 15 days of labor, the state said.

The materials were suspended beneath the belly of a CH-47 Chinook, the Army’s cargo transport helicopter, and flown from Schofield Barracks to the Koolaus..

The “green” mission was executed by a team from the Army’s Oahu Natural Resources Program and DLNR’s Division of Forestry and Wildlife and the Army’s 25th Combat Aviation Brigade, 25th Infantry Division,

“The Kaluanui Natural Area Reserve was created to preserve the unique wet forest, cliff habitat and high quality stream system it encompasses,” said Marigold Zoll, DOFAW Native Ecosystems manager. “Many of Oahu’s native fish, shrimp and aquatic snails rely on this stream system to complete their life cycles.”

This is the second fencing airlift the Army has supported. In December, the Hawaii Army National Guard supported a similar mission to the Koolaus with two of their Chinooks.