HILO >> Visitors at Lili‘uokalani Gardens may have noticed changes recently as part of ongoing tree maintenance work in the park aimed at addressing invasive species and reducing potential safety hazards.
About a dozen trees have been slated for removal as part of a phase of the project that began in April, in addition to the removal invasive African tulip and gunpowder trees, according to Hawaii County spokesman Tom Callis.
He said the number of trees being removed increased from initial estimates due to the discovery of rot in some trees after work began. This includes two large ironwood trees near the park’s southwest entrance that recently were cut down.
“The primary reason for removal is rot, which makes those trees hazardous for park users,” he wrote in an email. “We also removed some trees and undergrowth in certain areas as part of general maintenance to prevent future hazards and to beautify the park.”
K.T. Cannon-Eger, the president of Friends of Lili‘uokalani Gardens, a nonprofit which helps care for the park, said the work has been “long-deferred” and she is glad to see it progressing.
She said the organization has been consulted throughout the process, which began with a comprehensive assessment of the park’s trees by a certified arborist. She said she is supportive of the work, even if it means removal of trees that have been in the park for decades.
“Trees have a lifespan, too,” she said. “Some of them have longer lifespans than others, but some are reaching the end of their life, and then they start dropping branches on people and cars and whatnot.
“So, it’s very good for the county to take steps to assess what they’ve got, what problems there may be, and then more recently under the current administration, to hire tree maintenance people to come and address the concerns that were found by certified arborists.”
While this phase of the work was initially scheduled to be completed over the summer, Callis said that weather and the discovery of additional issues has caused delays. It is now anticipated to run into late October.
“The project has been prolonged somewhat due to the storms and wet weather we have had this year,” he said. “We also added additional tree removals due to the discovery of rot in certain trees during maintenance, which has extended the project.”
Connon-Eger said she has been happy with the work so far and said that she appreciated that the stumps of the trees that were cut down have also been removed, laying the groundwork for new trees to potentially be planted in their place.
“I’m very pleased that the work continued to the point of going right down to the ground, so that there may be some replacement trees planted in the future,” she said. “This is something the park planner James Komata and I have discussed in terms of the entire park.”
While she said some people have expressed sadness at seeing trees removed from the gardens, she said, overall, she feels the work will facilitate a safer, more sustainable park — even if the process is taking longer than expected.
“These things take an awful lot of time when it’s going through the county, and that’s what’s happening here,” she said. “It’s an awful lot of time, and they’re taking their very careful steps to make certain that the public is well-served.”
The estimated cost of the project when work began in April was $164,000.
