The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1904-12-15
FORESTRY BOARD
HOLDS SESSION
MAUI FOREST RESERVE RECON-
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS REPORTS AS
TO THE NUMBERING OF KOA.

To The NUMBERING OF kOA.
The Board of Agriculture and For
estry at it's meeting yesterday recon-
mended the setting aside of forest re-
serve on Maui by the following reso-
luton:
Resolved, that the Board of Agricul-
ture hereby recommend the setting a
part of the Government Forest land
of Makawao, Island of Maui. being a
portion of sail land of Makawao. con-
tanning POSI- acres, more or less, being
indicated as a forest reservation. and
also that those portions of the ahu-
puaa of kalialiinui, containing 5,71S
acres is an important and valuable part
of the Koolau forest which is a natural
boundary of the forest aforesaid" The
resolution called for notifying the Gov
ernor of the Boards action.
superintendent of Forestry Hosmer
presented the following report of his
visit to the koa forest back of the
Volcano House, Hawaii, near the era
ter of Kilauea:
1 beg to submit herewith a report
upon my recent trip of inspection to
the land of Keauhou, Kau, Hawaii,
made in company with f. S. Dodge,
at the request of the Bishop estate.
The tract visited was the lower half
of that part of Keauhou lying on the
southeastern slop of Mauna Loa, ma
uka of the Government road and be-
tween the lands of Olaa and Kapapala.
A CO. ,f A..
Olaa side of this tract has been set
apart by the Bishop estate as a private
forest reserve. This area, $500 acres, is
fenced in and cattle are excluded from
it. The remainder of the tract is leased
to Mr.. o. T. Shipman as a cattle ranch.
The portnon of the tract containing
the koa forest about which the Bishop
estate desires advice S a strip just west
of the above described reserve. 1t ex-
tends from the Government road near
Mr.. Shipmans house to paddock fence
across the tract at an elevation of
about 500 feet, some five miles i'm
length by a mile or more i'm breadth;
an area of between 1000 and 500 acres.
On this section, particularly on it's
upper half. is a fairly heavy stand of
large koa acacia koa) trees. The for
est is practically pure koa, there be-
ing few other trees n mixtures. Be
meath the koa is a dense jungle of tree
ferns (cibotium menziesii.)
The koa trees are of good size and
quality, many of the larger ones being
from so to 100 feet in height and from
two to six feet i'm diameter, breast high.
These trees are mature and i'm my
judgment ought soon to be cut and
utilized.
The local conditions are such that
with proper facilities for handling the
logs the large trees could be felled and
got out of the forest at reasonable cost.
The demand for koa is believed to be
great enough to insure a market for the
product, and a fair profit, if the work is
handled i'm business like way by the
right people. The proposition therefore
may be regarded as a feasible one from
a business standpoint.
Considered fro mthe point of view of
the forester the removal of valuable
trees when mature is distinctly good
policy provided always that the work
is done in such a way that another
crop is insured. This, indeed, is the
key note of forestry.
. On the land in question believe that
the value of the koa forests is greater
because of it's commercial Importance
than for any other reason that, pro-
vided the work were done m accordance
with forestry methods, the mature treea
could be numbered without detriment to
the permanent productive value of the
forest; and provided an assured market
can be secured, that the logging of the
tract at this time is good business poll
cy for the Bishop estate
In my report to the Bishop estate I
shall therefore, recommend that the
tract be logged, provided suitable ar
rangements can be made as to stump
age prices, and provided also that GER
tain regulations, to be contained in my
report, be made a part of the contract.
Very respectfully,
RALPH S. HOSMER,
Superintendent of Forestry.
Upon motion it was decided that Ger
rit p. Wilder should represent Hawaii
at the meeting of the National Fores-
try Association which is 20 be held at
Washington i'm January.
A letter was read from Explorer Fair
child of the Agricultural Department
stating that he would Secure the best
kind of rubber trees for shipment to
Hawaii
The appointment of Mr.. Watt as
consulting forester of Olaa and Puma
was confirmed.