Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 36, Number 4, 1 ʻApelila 2019 — Acocia koa wood made available to local artisans [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Acocia koa wood made available to local artisans

The Hawai'i Forest Industry Association (HFIA) has teamed up with Kamuela Hardwoods and Paniolo Tonewoods to make processed live edge Aeaeia koa wood available to loeal craftspeople, woodworkers, instrument makers and other artisans. The partnership among HFIA,

Paniolo Tonewoods and Kamuela Hardwoods was born through a shared vision of wanting to create availability for smaller buyers with transparent pricing. With leftover logs, branches and treetops, Paniolo Tonewoods was willing to help HFIA source the wood and Kamuela Hardwoods participates through cutting and selling the wood. The newly launched Kama'āina Wood Market will help facilitate an open koa wood marketplace.

Historically, koa has been sold in very large amounts to buyers offshore including the international market. As an important initiative of HFIA, Kama'āina Wood Market is in line with the organization's goal of promoting the use of Hawai'igrown woods and ensuring that loeal woodworkers have the resources they

need. The Kama'āina Wood Market aims to get processed and semiprocessed Hawai'i-grown wood, including koa, into the hands of loeal craftspeople and artisans. Interested buyers must be current members of HFIA to participate in Kama'āina Wood Market program. HFIA membership is nominal and applications may be found online at www.hawaiiforest.org. To view and purchase wood through Kama'āina Wood Market visit the website and

contact Kamuela Hardwoods at info@kamuelahardwoods.comor (808) 657 4797. For additional information, contact HFIA Executive Director Heather Simmons at 808-933-9411 or email: hfia@ hawaiiforest.org.

HFIA President Nicholas Koeh (left) and HFIA Secretary Peter Simmons sit on koa bundle at Kamuela Hardwoods. - Photo: HFIA