The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1893-07-06

OF the bureau OF agriculture AM
forestry
Sir: Since the formation of tn
bureau of agriculture and forestr.
the attention of your commissions
las stated in a former report) has beer
drawn by the planting community o
the district of Hamakua, on the isl
and Of Hawaii, to the greatly les
sened rainfall, attributed by then
land, in the opinion of the writer
rightly SOY to the rapid denudatior
OF the forests that has taken place IL
that district. Immediate action being
urged upon the bureau, your com
missioner concluded to visit Hama
kua and confer with the planters
there upon the important question oil
arresting the destruction of the for.
ests aud devising means of restoring,
as far as possible, portion OF the
area already destroyed
In pursuance of this course the
writer has visited Hamakua, and
while there called a meeting of the
representatives of the plantations in
the district. A meeting was held on
May 26th at the Honokaa lyceum, at
which the following plantations were
represented: The Pacific Sugar Mill
Co, Honokaa Plantation Co, Pau
han plantation and the kukaiau
plantation.
The meeting discussed at length
the question of preventing the fur
Their destruction of the forest and
restoring the portion already destroy
ed, and it was agreed that no better
means could be devised than to in
close with q substantial fence the
remaining forest, together with a
considerable area of land upon
which there is every reason to be-
lieve the forest may be restored, If
cattle and stock of all kinds are
rigidly excluded from trespassing
and destroying the young trees.
The meeting finally appointed
committee, composed OF the follow
ing gentlemen: MIR. a. Moore, MIR.
G. Won Mengersen and MIR. j. nj.
Homer, and instructed them to pre-
pare a letter, to be addressed to your
commissioner, expressing the views
Of the meeting and stating to what
extent the plantations were prepared
to cooperate with the government In
the work of preserving the forests,
and the following letter, received on
the It'll of June, clearly and forcibly
sets forth the need of Immediate &C.
tion on the part of both the govern
ment and the planters themselves:
! effer From Planters.
HAMAKUA DISTRICT, Hawaii,
May och, '93.
JOSEPH MARsDEN, Esq, COMMISSIONER
OF FORESTRY, HONOLULU.
DEAR SIR: Alta meeting of representa-
tives of the plantation interests OF Hama
kua dstrlct, held at Honokaa on May 26,
1898, to consider the change in the climate
of late years and the causes thereof;
namely, the denudation of the forest
lands above the cane belt, it was
agreed that your attention be called to
the above, and that you be requested to
present the following statement OF the
condition of the district to the minister
OF the interior and urge upon him the
necessity of assisting the people OF the
district, in the manner to be proposed.
Within the past twenty years the lands
of the Hamakua district, extending from
Ookala to Waipio gulch along the sea
coast and inland as far back as Waimea,
were covered with dense forest impas. a
BILE except by trails cut through the
brush and underground. While IN this
condition the district had an abundant
rainfall. Some OF the roads being known
for their perpetual muddy condition.
Within the same period OF twenty
years, the lands adjoining the sea coast
have been gradually cleared for cane and
agricultural purposes without seriously
affecting the rainfall; also, during this
same period of time, the ranching indus
try in the neighborhood of Waimea has
been largely increased. The cattle in
grazing around Waimea and on the ad- |
Joining mountains have gradually caused |
the obstruction of the underbrush, and |
finally the large trees throughout that |
section of the district. The area OF land |
affected was at first small, bat year by |
year it has steadily increased until now |
there are probably 100, coo acres entirely |
Gle 4red, except for an occasional dead |
stump still standing. As the above area |
has increased, so the rainfall has dlmln-
ished so that now there are two causes, |
lack of moisture. and the damaging |
effects of the cattle, for the very rapid
denudation OF all the forest land in this
district. As a result OF this the rainfall |
the lands are almost worthless for either
agricultural or grazing purposes. Both
industries were carried on at loss last
year; the prospects are as bad for this,
and under present conditions it is a mat
ter of but few years when all agricul-
tural pursuits will have to be entirely
abandoned in that section of the district
most affected.
The ranchiug industry extensively
carried on between the Hamakua and
Kohala districts is also seriously threat
ened from the reduced feed and water
supplies.
The present serious condition of the
district with the still more gloomy pros
pect for the future has caused the planta-
ton and ranch owners much worry and
thought and led to the present meeting
at which it was decided to represent the
condition of the district, as above, to
you, and suggest the following plan to
cave at least a portion of the remaining
forest.
1t is known from actual experience at
the Kukuihaele plantation, that If land
is fenced in and preserved from the in
roads of cattle, that the brush and trees
although badly affected will in time re-
cover and the forest be renewed. In
consequence OF this it was agreed among
the nlantati0u 0unarG and raprpSantc. |