The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1905-04-14

Wednesdays meeting of the Board o!
Forestry and Agriculture:
Honolulu, L. H., April = 1905.
Committee on Forestry, Board of Agri-
culture and Forestry.
Gentlemen: On March % YOU re-
ferred to me d letter from Mr. ]. w
Pratt, Commissioner of Public Lands
under the date of February 10. request
ing the suggestions of the Board in re-
gard to certain lands on the island OF
Hawaii.
Three of the four tracts mentioned
are in Hamakua. These L expect to
visit during my next trip to Hawaii
after which 1 shall be ready to report
upon them.
The other land called for, 1 have the
honor to report upon herewith. It is
that tract of land constituting the
. remnant of Olaa, below the surveyed
part of Olaa New Tract, and between
Keaau and Waiakea, forming a long
narrow triangle and marked on the map
of Hawaii as Government Tract" The
lower point of the tract comes practic-
ally to the Volcano road not far from
the seven "a mile post. The upper end
of the remnant adjoins Lots 229 to 23z
of the Olaa New Tract, at an elevation
of about 1900 feet.
While L have not made a personal
examination of this tract 1 am familiar
with the general character of The Sec
ton from visits made to the adjoining
lands.
This knowledge, with additional in
4 formation concerning the tract obtained
from government officials and other
trustworthy sources, is the basis on
which 1 make the following report and
communications.
The greater part, if not the whole, OF
the Olaa remnant is covered by old IA
lava, known as the Kukulu Flow. 1t is
this flow which the Volcano road
eros Ses between the four ca and eight
50 mile marks
The Kukulu Flow consists of large
rocks, covered in part by good soil, but
the surface is too rough to admit of
blowing or cultivation. The upper part
of the remnant is shown on the map
of the Olaa lots. compiled by Mr.. e. D.
Baldwin in 1899.
Covering the entire Olaa remnant is
dense forest of the same character
as that on the remainder of the Olaa
tract Ohia (Selma) is the predomi-
nant tree. with a heavy underground
of tree and other ferns, climbing vines
and the tangIe of tropical vegetation
that goes to make up the native Ha-
waiian forest.
Were it possible to develop the Olaa
remnant for agricultural purposes there
would be no objection to clearing and
opening up the land for settlement. But
as the land is too rough to be cultivat-
ed, about the only profitable use to
which this tract could now be put
would be the cutting and marketing
of the ohia trees for timber, ties or
fuel Whatever value the Olaa remnant
at present possesses is largely because
of the forest thereon and unless there
is a decided change in economic condi-
lions it's greatest value in the future
will be that it can produce timber
trees.
Provided an assured market for ohia
wood existed, there would be no I'M
propriety in logging the Olaa remnant,
provided always that the work We're
done in such way that the govern
ment would receive a fair return from
the wood cut and that the forest were
left in good producing condition.
But if the revenue is to be derived
from the sale of forest products from
self and not some Individual should re-
cefve the chief benefit. To this end,
when government forest land is to be
numbered a special form of contract
should be entered into, containing such
directions and regulations as to how the
work may be done as may be deemed
necessary.
In the case of the Oiaa remnant it is
difficult to say for what the land could
be profitably used at this time unless
the idea is to cut wood.
therefore recommend that the Board
of Commissioners of Agriculture and
Forestry advise the Commissioners of
Public Lands not to lease the Olaa rem
nant Or to let it pass out of the control
of the government until the forest
on the tract can be put on the market
at a fair profit or until the local eco
nomic conditions are such that the lana
can be used to better advantage for
p,,rposes other than that of producing
timber trees.