COURTESY DLNR / JULY 28
The scene after vandals cut down more than 10 eucalyptus trees at the Ewa Forest Reserve above Wahiawa and installed a bench.
Where a grove of 10 eucalyptus trees once stood, there are now splintered tree stumps — and a bench.
The Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources said vandals in recent weeks illegally chopped down more than 10 paperbark eucalyptus trees in the Ewa Forest Reserve above Wahiawa.
”The vandals also installed a bench, suggesting that the illegal removal of trees was perhaps intended to establish a scenic viewpoint,” said DLNR in a news release. “Ironically, the situation left by the destruction of the trees is anything but picturesque.”
The bench, made of wood slats, appears to be installed between two tree stumps, overlooking a view of the forest.
DLNR did not elaborate on the vandals or if they have been identified — or caught — but said it is illegal under state law to remove, injure or kill plant life in public forest reserves.
A new law that went into effect in in June, meanwhile, makes the intentional destruction of a tree on state or county property without consent a criminal misdemeanor.
Don’t miss out on what’s happening!
Stay in touch with breaking news, as it happens, conveniently in your email inbox. It’s FREE!
Senate Bill 2983, introduced by state Sens. Chris Lee and Stanley Chang, was signed into law as Act 128 on June 24.
A person found guilty of violating the law is subject to a penalty and required to pay the state or county an amount equal to the replacement value of the tree, the law says, as determined by a designated arborist.
Officials said while eucalyptus trees are not native to Hawaii, the species was intentionally introduced in the early 1900s to reduce erosion.
Ryan Peralta, a forestry program manager with the Division of Forestry and Wildlife’s Oahu Branch, said what was done to the trees is ”not only illegal” but “disrespectful to the aina.”
“These are public lands that belong to everyone,” said Peralta in a news release. “We’ve never seen anything like this. Chopping down trees and leaving such a mess not only disrupts the forest ecosystem, it creates an eyesore.”
He added that forest reserves provide fresh water and habitat for native species and recreational opportunities for residents and visitors.
The public can report forest reserve violations to the DLNR Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement at 808-643-DLNR (3567) or via the DLNRTip app.