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Published on January 12, 2025
Hawaii Proclaims 2025 the "Year of Our Community Forests" in Eco-Conscious InitiativeSource: State of Hawaii Office of the Governor

In an eco-friendly push that's zero-parts subtle and all-parts essential, Governor Josh Green officially esteemed 2025 as the "Year of Our Community Forests," a little nod to the leafy companions that make the Hawaiian landscapes more than just a pretty postcard—they're integral to island life. According to the announcement made during a signing ceremony, the proclamation is part of a wider campaign initiated by the DLNR Division of Forestry and Wildlife or DOFAW, if acronyms are your thing, and their Kaulunani Urban and Community Forest Program, plus a myriad of partners, to spotlight trees in community settings and bolster the bond between residents and these natural fixtures.

Gov. Green put it simply, "Community forests are the trees in our neighborhoods, yards, parks, schools, and along our streets," emphasizing that these natural elements include not only indigenous flora but also beneficial non-invasive species like 'ulu, niu, and mango. The idea is to celebrate trees regardless of their 'passport' status—it's inclusivity at its greenest. Echoing the Governor's sentiments, DLNR First Deputy Ryan Kanaka‘ole cheerfully stated on the website, "We all live in a community forest, they’re not just mauka, but all around us." And what's a festive moment without highlighting how these green giants can be decorated with holiday lights and provide practical benefits, from food to habitat?

To drill deeper into the roots of this tree-loving campaign, DOFAW has erected a digital grove of sorts—a website where people can branch out their knowledge on community forests' benefits, discover volunteer gigs tied to this arboreal affair, and leaf through data and stats that chronicle forests' positive impacts on communities, considering forests economically, DOFAW Administrator David Smith pointed out that "urban forestry having a $64 billion footprint nationwide in 2017," as well as supporting over five hundred thousand jobs, if money talks, here it's speaking the language of leaves.

But it isn't all about the greenbacks or the fruit-bearing boughs; it's also about the green lungs—trees, as Gov. Green stressed, are environmental MVPs purifying water by filtering trashy pollutants, wrestle soil erosion in check reducing runoffs into the oceans, and let's not forget those little wonders turning carbon dioxide into fresh oxygen, helping to put the brakes on climate change, full stop, Hawai'i's municipal trees themselves pack quite the punch storing upward of 25,000 tons of CO2 annually, pluck a net 3,340 tons of the stuff out of the air each year, and juggle a hefty 35 million gallons of stormwater exuberantly.