The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1900-10-20

|PLANTERS AND FORESTRY :


The following written by r. r. Fur
now, chief of the forestry division of
the Department of the Interior in reply
to a letter of inquiry from DR.. Walter
M. Maxwell is extremely pertinent to
any consideration of the forestry ques-
ton In the Territory of Hawaii.
1.-The much more forcible argument
for retaining hilltops and mountain
sides under forest cover lies in the
function which this cover plays in the
disposal of the fallen precipitation
This influence is purely mechanical,
easily understood and easily observed
There is one other well known de-
triment to agriculture resulting from
forest devastation which has impover-
ished large areas in France and
through which many millions of soil
capital are lost annually in our States,
namely by erosion and outlying of
fields. 1t is estimated that we lose in
the United States annually some 200
square miles of fertile soil by this
erosion, besides losing the fertile soil
which is washed into the rivers, in ad-
dition large expenditures are necessi-
tated to keep the rivers open for navi-
cation. The Mississippi problem is I'M
doubleday aggravated from this cause.
81 shall not weary you further with
details, which you can find discussed
in my publications from this office
sent you.
81 come now to your question as to
what course it would be well for your
government to take with reference to
your forestry problems. 1 believe in
acting upon facts, rather than theo-
ries. l would, Therefore, advise that be-
fore any permanent measures are pro-
posed, an examination of the facts bear
ing upon the problem be made in
other words to employ an expert or
experts to make a photographic de-
scription of the Islands with special
reference to these problems.
This office just now is making pre-
cisely such a reconnaissance survey for
the State of Wisconsin prior to and as
a basis for desirable legislation.
"Such a survey or inspection, If 1
understand the conditions of your ISL
ands Alright, may be made by a compe-
tent man in three or four months. AS
you may have gathered from the fore
going remarks, it should comprise a
statement of the geologic and topo-
graphic conditions, the location and
condition of forest cover, the relation
of the forest areas to agricultural
lands, the water supply conditions and
such forestry knowledge as is neces-
sary to form an idea of the ease of re-
production and also of such other eco
nomic conditions as will aid in forming
judgment OF Jne reldIlNe protective
values of existing forest areas, the
need of their extension and their To-
cation
you will see that not merely a for
ester, a man skilled in the technique
of forest growing, but a man of judg-
ment should be entrusted with such a
mission. Perhaps it might be well and
expedite the survey to associate with
the examiner a resident geologist and
perhaps the Surveyor General, when
the three would not only more rapidly
get over the ground, but a discussion
between them might lead to a more
mature judgment as to what recon-
mendations should be made.
after such an examination and re-
port is made, which may be accom-
plished with an expenditure of less
than $4,000, it will be time to formu-
late further measures of a permanent
character. 1t may then be found de-
sirable to employ a permanent officer,
whose business 1t is to look after the
forestry interests, executing any laws
and assisting by advice any efforts of
rational management. While l be-
lieve that at present the material val
ne of Hawaiian forests is of slight mo-
ment, 1 am inclined to think that the
Islands would be able to grow on the
soils unfit for agriculture all the wood
supplies for their increasing needs, in
stead of importing the same. Hence
the existence of such an officer in this
direction too would find ample justin
"a tiOn "