The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1905-04-27

recommendations OIL superintendent OF
Forestry Hosmer on the proposed Ma
kula, Maui. forest reserve. His report
was as follows:
April 49, 1905.
Committee on Forestry Board of Agri-
culture and Forestry. Honolulu, T.
H.
Gentlemen: 1 have the honor to sub
init the following report upon the land
of Nakula, kaupo. Maui, in response
to a request from the Commissioner
of Public Lands, referred to me on
March %. 1905.
The question before the Board in re-
gard to this land is whether or nol the
Governments portion of Nakula is
needed for forest purposes. On March
IA, an application for Il u year grazing
lease of Nakula mauka was received
by the Land Office, calling for "all that
land lying mauka of CT. 2743 Need
ham and Cook and also mauka of that
portion of Nakula leased to Capt.
Clarke, up to the seven thousand feet
elevation and containing one thousand
acres. more or less
On March %. the Commissioner of
Public Lands informed the Board that
read all the land makai of the $4,000
five thousand foot elevation. and con-
tanning (60O) six hundred acres more
or less
I have not personally visited the land
of Nakula but from general knowl-
edge of that portion of Maui, re-
inforced by information obtained from
a number of trustworthy persons, I
r faJx-
mendations which follow.
The southern slope of Mt. Haleakala'
in the district of kaupo and especially
in that of Kahikinui is of much more
recent origin than any other portion of
Maui and contains much extremely
rough lava, similar in character to that
in the districts of South Kona and
Kau on Hawaii.
Taken a whole this section has not
had a forest cover in recent times, if
indeed it ever had. Scattering groves
and groups of trees are found but it is
said by those who know the locality
that even this sort of forest is less in
evidence than it was twenty years ago.
This forest has gradually disappeared |
in the same way as has the denser for |
EST which formerly covered the KuIa |
slope.
From the porous character of its |
'ock and soil this section of Maui is
running streams. At best an
lrea of scant precipitation what water
aIls is quickly swallowed up and lost
or economic use.
The chief. almost the only use to
which the lands in this section can be
,rofitably put is grazing. And even
= i, fNy-
nything but the poorest pasture.
Some of this poorer grazing land
ould undoubtedly be made 10 grow
rees of economic Importance and if it
yere planted it would probably yield
etter returns from its forest products
han could be got from its use for any
Their purpose This is especially true
f the belt lying above the elevation of
rom 5000 to 5000 feet. for it is at this
levation above the limit of the native
hawaiian forest, that the valuable
oniferous trees from the temperate
ones-pines, spruces and firs-can be
lade to grow.
From the above statement it will be
zen that the forest problem in Kahi-
inui and Eastern Kaupo practically
arrows down to the question of I'LL
mate pianIlHS. WIN iletltlIy any
ting forest to be maintained and with
lrface conditions which make water
led protection unneces sary it appears
, that the part of the land of Ma
nla for which the Commissioner of
ublic Lands asks suggestions is not
ow properly TO be classed as forest
nd and CD that the portion which
.emingly is most suited for afforesta-
on is excluded from the area propos-
to be leased.
I therefore recommend % that the
oard inform the Commissioner of Pub
, Lands that it sees no objection to
asing for grazing purposes, the land
Nakula mauka below the 5000 con-
ur line; (2) that the Board suggests
the Commissioner of Public Lands
at the portion Of Nakula mauka
,oye this section ought to remain 1"
IN iT.l