The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1904-12-19

On MAUI
Campaign Against In
sect PHYSIOLOGICAL
Reports.

| meeting OF the Board OF Agriculture
| and Forestry, one by Forester Hosmer
| on Maui forest reserves and another by
Entomologist Craw on insect pests:
In accordance with your request, 1
| submit herewith areport upon the forest
| questions contained in the proposition
i of the Haleakala Ranch Company, OF
Maui made jointly to the Board and
4 the Commissioner of Public Lands,
| under the date of November 2. 1904
/ 1t is suggested by the Ranch Com
pany that the forest of the government
land known as the Ahupuaa of Maka-
i wac, otherwise and locally, as the
| Board of Education Land, containing
1 2021 acres, more or less, be set apart as
| a 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 or
Hamakuapoko, KaHaliaui 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
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
,-I1
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 a band of
wild cattle in the main forest, some
distance makai of this fence. No es-
innate can be given of it's 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 TIE Territory.
The highest records are from the
Keanae section, where, at Nahiku, 400
inches in a 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 it desira bile that
the forest be kept intact up to a higher
elevation than in Hilo.
The present edge of the Koolau for
EFT 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-
lition probably due to the influence of
he mountain upon the wind currents, ]
,or the winds from either direction die
out on reaching this locality
It's present edge may therefore be
as the natural boundary of
he Koofau forest as wen as the limit E
If rainfall that can be depended upon. y
But this is not the only reason why
he present forest should be maintain ,
d. The nature and configuration of ;
he country is such that in the strip :
# forest under question, head all the 7
Important streams from the Haliko
,ulch to the Keanae valley; all the :
treams in fact that drain the heart
f the Kooiau district.
Ncwhere in tho Territory has there :
cen such systematic development Of r
he water as in this district. And with :
he completion of the new bitches :
arge additional areas, now of only :
small value, will Be :,
lade highly productive. with con- ;,
equent gain Of just as much in the
eneral prosperity of the Territory. :.
The statement has recently been :,