The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1904-12-20
FORESTRY
ON MAUI
Campaign Against In
sect Pests...Official
Reports.

and Forestry, one by Forester Hosmer
Entomologist Craw on insect pests:
In accordance with your request, 1
submit herewith areport upon the forest
questions contained in the proposition
of the Haieakala Ranch Company, OF
Maui, made jointly to the Board and
the Commissioner of Public Lands.
under the date of November ., 1904.
1t Is suggested by the Ranch Com
pany that the forest of the government
land known as the Ahupuaa of Maka-
wac, otherwise and locally, as the
Board of Education Land, containing
2o21 acres, more or less, be set apart as
forest reserve. To this area they
propose shall be added the forested por-
ton of the Ahupuaa of Kalialiaui. con-
tanning 1852 acres, more or less, and
also that part OF the same land lying
in the crater of Haleakala, In the
watershed of the Keanae valley. 1866
acres more or less, this provided that
the proposed exchange shall be consum-
mated. Makawao is in the district of
Hamakuapoko Kalialiaui in Kula, both
on the Island OF Maui. Their relation
to each other and to other adjacent
lands is shown on the large scale map.
submitted with the Ranch Company's
report and now on file in this office.
The forest portion of Makawao was
fenced by the Ranch Company about
eight years ago and stock has, since
then, been kept out of the forest.
The forested section of Kalialinui has
only recently been set apart, but n
fence now extends along It's western
edge from the lower reserve to the
steep pail above the Koolau Gap and
the cattle have been got out OF the
woods. There Is said to be band OF
wild cattle in the main forest, some
distance makai OF this fence No es-
innate can be given of its size.
Having personally visited the lands
in question and gone over the ground
In some detail, am reasonably famil-
lar with the conditions thereon. My
personal knowledge of the district has
been supplemented by conversations
and conferences about the lands with
the gentlemen most familiar with them.
held during Governor Carriers recent
visit to Maui. and at other times.
The area which it is proposed be set
apart and added to- consists OF belt
of forest, composed mainly of Ohia and
Koa trees. which stretches up the
northeastern slope Of Haleakala, from
an elevation of about $500 feet, near
Piiholo Hill to between 5000 and 1000
feet, near the Koolau Gap-the great
break in the crater wall OF Haleakala,
at the head OF Keanae valley. This
area is some twelve miles long by about
one and one-half miles wide.
The forest on this belt is the western
edge of the great Koolau forest, which
covers, in an unbroken stretch, all the
eastern side of Haleakala.
AS the principal value of a consider
able portion of the Koolau District is
on account of the water that can be
developed therein for the irrigation of
the great Waikiki Plain it may be
well in passing to consider the source
of this water.
The Koolau District can probably
boast as heavy precipitation as any
area in the Territory.
The highest records are from the
Keanae section, where, at Nahiku, 400
inches in n year have been recorded.
On either side of this section the rain
fall diminished. but more gradually
to the North than to the South. In
general the conditions governing pre-
cipitation must be similar to those OBJ
tanning in the Hilo District of Hawaii,
as both sections are situated on the
eastern side of high mountains, sub
ject to trade winds. AS yet not very
much is definitely known as to the exact
way in which rainfall is distributed
over eastern slope of Haleakala.
For some reason the upper limit of
the heavy precipitation seems to be
higher on Haleakala than on Mauna
Kea, factth at makes 1t desirable that
the forest be kept intact up to a higher
elevation than in Hilo.
The present edge of the Koolau for
est is not alone the arbitrary line
where the trees now stop and the
grazing land begins. 1t is, as well,
almost identical with the place where
the area of heavy precipitation finally
fades away into the drier climatic con-
ditions of the Kula district. This
transition is "a fairly sharp one, for
the region just beyond Olinda which
Is only little way outside of the for
est, is as dry as part of Kula; a con-
dition probably due to the influence OF
the mountain upon the wind currents.
for the winds from either direction die
out on reaching this locality.
Its present edge may therefore be
considered as the natural boundary of
the Koolau forest, as well as the limit
OF rainfall that can be depended upon.
But this is not the only reason why
the present forest should be maintain
ed. The nature and configuration of
the country is such that In the strip
of forest under question, head all the
important streams from the Hallko
gulch to the Keanae valley; all the
streams in fact that drain the heart
OF the Koolau district.
Nowhere in the Territory has there
been such systematic development of
the water as in this district. And with
the completion OF the new bitches
large additional areas, now of only
comparatively small value, will be
made highly productive, with a con-
sequent gain OF just as much in the
CONTINUED -. raoa