Koa wilt there are no local hosts, it is suggested that one plant seeds from several different sources in the hope of finding a resistant tree. Currently, research about Koa wilt is focused primarily on determining resistant Koa varieties. Koa is a commodity, a dominant native forest species, and an important element of Hawaiian culture. Koa is highly prized hardwood that can sell for prices as high as $150 a board foot, a special measurement indicating one-foot by one-foot by one-inch wood piece. Koa is currently being grown on plantations to support this high demand, yet some plantations have a 90% tree
Hakalau Forest National Wildlife Refuge numerous deep gulches. Rainfall decreases to about at elevations above , where majestic koa ("Acacia koa") and red-blossomed ōhia lehua ("Metrosideros polymorpha") trees form a closed-canopy forest. Further upslope, above , rainfall decreases to or less and native forest merges into abandoned pastureland where alien grasses and weeds, introduced as forage for cattle, are the dominant vegetation. Since 1989, over 400,000 koa, ōhia, and other native plants have been planted in this area as part of the refuge's reforestation program. The Pua Akala Cabin, located within the refuge, was nominated to the National Register of Historic Places in August 2008.