Reforestation efforts are actively underway and because the Koa is so easy to grow, including as an ornamental tree, it is likely that the Koa tree will continue to be a part of the native Hawai’ian landscape for many years to come even if it never achieves the wide distribution that it once enjoyed.
I realize that inherent in working with wood is the killing of a part of the natural world that may be slow to return and if I become deeply concerned about this fact, I will have to find a new hobby. I hope that such a time does not come to pass or at least not any time soon. In part because I am concerned about legally and responsibly obtained wood, I am reluctant to buy from sellers outside of well-established and known vendors. I am highly unlikely, for example, to purchase exotic wood from auction sites, such as Ebay, because of uncertain sourcing and documentation, as well as the potential, even likelihood, of material being misidentified in order to achieve a higher selling price.
However, due to the commercial scarcity of some domestic woods, resorting to auction sites such as Ebay or Etsy may be the only way to obtain some desirable domestic, or in some cases exotic imported, species that are not routinely commercially harvested. The potential risks of buying in these marketplaces have to be balanced against the desire to work with a specific species of wood. That is inherently an individual decision.
I also realize that many, if not most, wood workers do not have endangered species lists memorized, therefore I think it worthwhile and important to do even a small amount of research before purchasing any lumber, domestic as well as imported, to be certain of the potential impact you are having, even in a small way, on threatened or endangered populations. This information is easy to come by and takes only minutes to locate through any Internet search engine, including those you can access on your phone as you are standing in the lumber yard or store. Unfortunately, you simply cannot count on a vendor to tell you a product they are selling is endangered.
Health Hazards
No specific allergic or other negative health reactions have been documented in response to exposure to Koa wood or dust, but the closely related Acacia melanoxylon is well known to cause eye, skin, and respiratory irritation in some people. Because of this known problem with a closely related species, caution is warranted.
In addition, the long-term negative effects of exposure to sawdust of any species are well documented.
It is important to remember that although many people may, or may not, be sensitive to any given wood, the only experience that truly counts is your own, so use reported side effects as guidance but not as a substitute for cautious and safe practices.
Appropriate protective equipment is therefore always recommended when working with this, or any other, wood, exotic or domestic, unless you have worked with the species before and are certain you are not sensitive to it.
Complete information about health hazards associated with a wide variety of exotic hardwoods is available from The Wood Database. Additional information about how to best use a dust collection system and personal protective equipment, such as respirators, can also be found through this excellent and comprehensive resource.
Fortunately, I experienced no negative side effects when working with Koa.
My Personal Experiences
My having a piece of Koa was almost an accident. The relatively small piece I had, about 7” long x 5” wide x 2” thick was obtained at an auction of the equipment and wood accumulated by a wood turner in his 80s who was no longer able to work, and some of his wood stocks had been obtained many years prior at auction from yet another retiring wood turner. It is impossible to know which of the two originally obtained the piece of Koa that I ended up with, much less how long ago it was harvested or how it ended up in California’s San Joaquin Valley! About all I could know for certain was that the piece was, thankfully, labelled Koa in faint and small pencil markings otherwise I wouldn’t have guessed that is what it was. I know that the piece had to be several decades old based on the ages and active time frames of the two wood turners who could have obtained it.