FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                           November 17, 2005 

Release M-100

CITY ACTS TO REMOVE HAZARDOUS COCONUT TREES

   Workers from the City’s Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) Division of Urban Forestry tomorrow will remove 19 coconut palm trees from Kapiolani Park.  The trees to be removed are located between the Waikiki Aquarium and Kaimana Beach near the Waikiki War Memorial Natatorium.  Some public parking spaces near the area will need to be blocked off to accommodate tree removal equipment and for public safety.

   “We met with the Kapiolani Park Preservation Society and the Outdoor Circle to discuss the condition of these and other trees in the area,” said Division of Urban Forestry Chief Stan Oka. “We also brought in an outside arborist, and all of us agreed the trees need to be removed.”

    Oka explained some of the trees have cavities at their bases and trunks and could fall if not removed.  Others have crowns that are shrinking and will soon fall off.

   Mayor Mufi Hannemann stated it is his desire that the City replace whenever possible trees that need to be removed due to disease, insect infestation or other reasons.  “I’m happy to report that in this case, the Parks Department will replace better than 1 for 1 the trees that need to be removed,” Hannemann said.

   The trees to be removed are in a grove of approximately 200 trees.  Between 60 and 70 other trees in the grove will be closely monitored over the next several months for any changes to their condition.  “Realistically, some of them too will eventually need to be removed,” Oka said.

   Oka said the work could take only one day, but workers will return to finish the job on Monday if necessary.

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For more information call Stan Oka 523-4396