Managing Hawaii's Forests : A Conjoint Analysis of Lei Plant Material Sources

With Hawaii's population growing and its forests shrinking, the potential for overuse of this natural resource is a challenge facing the State's policy makers and resource managers. This article examines the conditions necessary to entice members of a user group to voluntarily switch to alternatives. The user group consists of hula dancers, who gather plant materials in the forest for adornment lei on Oahu, Hawaii. The two alternatives to forest gathering were community gardens for which work time was required and commercial purchase at a given price. If the alternatives to forest gathering are made attractive enough, some hula teachers indicate a willingness to switch, while others do not. Policy makers may find it more cost effective to formulate policies that will make alternatives more attractive to user groups than to attempt to change their preference structure. The diversity found among the preferences of hula practitioners indicates that a variety of approaches should be considered. In the case of those not willing to switch, a more participatory forest management system could be examined that includes all user groups. For those willing to switch, programs that lower the labor intensity of the community garden and the price of commercial purchase have considerable appeal