The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1907-05-28
PRESERVING
THE FOREST
Acting Governor Signs
Orders for New
Reserves.

| The meeting of the Board of Agri-
culture and Forestry, which was held
station on King street, devoted it's en-
tire attention to the question of for
est reserves. The report of Ralph S.
Hosmer, Superintendent of Forestry,
was published some time ago, in which
a full description of various tracts to
be set apart was given, with their
value to the Territory. and the import
ant question of water conservation
within the tracts described.
The only members present were Mr..
Hosmer and G. P. Wilder of the Board
of Agriculture and Acting Governor A.
L. c. Atkinson, who went into the
special questions before the meeting at
some length, very properly wishing no
point left undetermined that might oc-
casion legal complications later on.
Mr.. Hosmer reported that no objec-
tidns to the proposed reserves had
been received.
Mr.. Atkinson regretted that the pub
lie did not take greater interest in so
important a question, in which many
other vital matters were involved, es-
pecially those dealing with water
rights of prominent Importance in
these islands.
Under the old law the government
had right to set apart tracts for
forest reserves, whether they were
leased or not. If leased, the lease
holder was notified within two years
of the expiration of his lease. Under
the recent amendment, no notice is
necessary and it can be set aside, dur
ing the term of lease, subject to the
terms upon which the lease was grant
ed and thus became automatically
part of the lease. This permits the
owners of adjacent lands to know pre-
cisely what the policy of the govern
ment will be upon the expiration Of a
given lease.
In the Koolau reserve, on Maui, there
are five tracts aggregating 1880 acres,
the leases for which vary in length. On
the Hama reserve are 7013 acres sub
ject to the same conditions.
The object of the meeting was
formally to set apart these government
lands, q, 943 acres, as integral parts of
the two reserves.
There were two propositions relating
to Waimea upland, on Kauai, the west
ern part of the district of Kona, and
the district of Napali. which altogether
includes an area of 60,540 acres. 1880
fee simple. OF the government lands
$3.50 acres are under lease and 1880
are Unbiased.
The Governor by a properly-worded
proclamation declared that all the
area within a OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
line should be permanently maintained
as a forest reserve. and will actually
set apart, as a portion of that reserve,
government lands within the described
boundary. The land not under lease is
Immediately set apart, and that which
is under lease definitely, at the expi-
ration of the existing lease.
The chief reason for reserving Pail
Kona is permanently to protect the
head waters of mountain streams Of
great potential value for irrigation.
Land in the Kauai reserve is now
controlled by few persons, for the
most part by the Knudsens, Gay and
Robinson, while the greater part of the
private land belongs to the latter.
Both firms have maintained reserves
for number of years, and have fenced
the land, keeping out the wild cattle
that are now being destroyed, syste-
matically. Great damage is being done
in places by wild goats eating off the
heritage that prevents erosion of the
faces of the gulches.
On this point Mr.. Hosmer thought
good expedient would be to offer a
bounty of five cents for each scalp,
which, with the price of the skin,
would be an inducement to hunters.
Last November the final papers were
signed whereby the Alexander and
Baldwin interests on Maui turned over
to the government for management
lands owned by them in fee simple.
These were in the Koolau reserve on
Maui. The arrangement is to continue
for seventeen years, on condition that
if the lease expires on government land
in the reserve these lands shall inn
mediately be set aside as part of the
reserve.
The discussion of the afternoon was
confined to a review of agreements re-
lating to the government side of agree
ments respecting the reserves.