The production of copra for commercial sale is said to be slowly dwindling. A significant acreage is devoted to shifting agriculture in the subsistence economy. Rather than producing everything they need for their own use, Samoans are working for pay in increasing numbers. The greatest impact of westernization is on Tutuila, where the largest single employer, by far, is the Government of American Samoa. The fish canning industry is also a significant employer, but other opportunities to work for pay are extremely limited.
Consequently interest is high in finding other sources of income, including forest products.
In 1964, the Government of American Samoa requested a survey of the islands' forest resources. Taro patch in a recent clearing on a 70-percent slope. The surrounding forest is relatively virgin. The village of Aoloau Fou lies in center. The forest resource Aerial photographs show that large parts of Tutuila island and the Manua islands are forested.