To help landowners and land-use planners evaluate potential forest pro
duct ventures on former sugarcane lands in Hawaii, a short-rotation fo
restry decision support system was developed. An application to estima
te annual net returns of hypothetical integrated forest product operat
ions established at two former sugarcane plantations is featured. From
a variety of plantation management and wood processing options, linea
r programming results indicate that the optimal profit opportunity exi
sts for the production of medium density fibreboard and plywood from E
ucalyptus saligna plantations, with annual net return estimates of app
roximately $3.5 million year(-1) ($8970 ha(-1) year(-1)) from three co
mmercial thinnings (at 5, 10, and 15 years of age) and one harvest at
rotation age (20 years) of trees on the Hamakua plantation on the isla
nd of Hawaii and $2.2 million year(-1) ($4880 ha(-1) year(-1)) from tw
o commercial thinnings (at 4 and 10 years of age) and one harvest at r
otation age (15 years) of trees on the Waialua plantation on Oahu.