The Hawaiian gazette., 1908-11-13

Once again it 10 my privilege to nd-
dress the members of this association
on the subject of forestry in Hawaii.
The topic is by no means new one
on the program of your annual meet
ings and to some it may perhaps seem
that everything necessary to correct
understanding of the subject has al
ready been said. But there are good
reasons why forestry should continue
year after year to hold place in your
deliberations. Forestry is very decid-
edly a live issue in the Territory Of
Hawaii. It is part of the general
land question, than which there is no
more important local problem. In Ha-
waii the relation between forestry and
irrigation is peculiarly intimate. The
continued success of the main industry
of the Territory rests on the wise use
of water. Over half of the fifty-odd
sugar plantations are dependent on ir-
rigation. The majority Of the non.ir-
rigated plantations also use large
quantities of water for fuming cane
or for the Development of power. Be-
cause of the characteristic features of
Hawaiian climate and Topography
the heavy precipitation in the wind
ward districts and the steep, short
watersheds-it is essential that for
est cover be maintained permanently
on the catchment-basins of the i'm
portant streams. The conservation of
the native forest has consequently a
very direct bearing on the continued
commercial prosperity of the Islands.
But the benefits of forestry do not
cease with forest protection. The
question OF meeting the demand for
wood and timber of the various classes
required for local use, not to speak Of
the need for fuel in certain districts,
becomes each year more and more
pressing. 1t is the province of for.
estry to meet this demand through the
introduction and establishment of
trees that will in time supply the re-
quired products, be the need for posts,
railroad ties, construction timber, or
fuel. Then, too, on the side of wind
break, shelter-belt and, incidentally, of
roadside and ornamental tree.plarting,
forestry touches the life of this COM
munity-at many points.
Taken altogether, the problem of
using the forests wisely and of MAX
ing them do their full part constitutes
one of the vital issues in the Terri
tory of Hawaii. And because forestry
is vital, living issue, it necessarily
follows that not only do new problems
constantly appear, but also that the
old problems frequently take on new
phases or develop relations not before
appreciated.
AS body, the members of this as.
ISOLATION are brought into more direct
relations with forest problems than is
any other class of citizens in Hawaii
1t is therefore pertinent that at your
meetings the underlying principles of
forestry should be stated often enough
to be kept clearly in mind, and that
the aims, objects and present condition
Of current work should be made known
through frequent reports of progress.
It is for these reasons that forestry
holds its place on your program and
comes up yearly as subject for dis.
cussion and report. Jte
During the year of 1908 the many
sided Importance of forests has come
to be recognized as never before in
the history of the nation. Last May
the President called together at tho
White House the governors of all the
States Of the Union to meet with him
to discuss the conservation of the nat
ural resources of the nation. This
meeting was an event of far-reaching
Importance, for it marks the starting
point of many movements that have to
do with the wiser use, not only of the
forests, but also of the other great nat.
| ural sources of wealth-lands, minerals
and waters. At the Governors Con
| ference, Hawaii was represented by
| the Governor of the Territory and by
three "advisers, one of whom was
the secretary Of your association.
Following the conference of the
governors, and IS direct result of
that meeting, the governors of many
| of the States have Nappointed local con-
| servatiOn commissions to undertake an
| inventory of local resources and to as.
sist in outlining plan whereby the
material resources of the nation as a
whole can be used wisely, without
| waste OF unnecessary loss. Governor
| Frear has appointed such a commits.
| sion for this Territory and data are
now being collected as the basis for
a report that will contain specific rec.
concentrations. Many of the problems
of conservation are essentially local in
character and can only be solved by
plans resulting from the detailed and
comprehensive study of individual 10.
calities. Others are shared in common
by this Territory and by the States
and Territories on the mainland in a
way that a better understanding OF
the whole subject is making more and
more clear. In SO far as Hawaii has
taken part in this general movement
it is PROFESSIONALLY the most notable
event in the history of forestry in the
Territory during the past year.
| With the widening in scope Of the
| general outlook, the work of the Ter.
ritorial Forest Service has gone stead
lily forward. Pursuing the policy
adopted at its organization, five years
ago, there have been set apart during
tho past year additional forest re-
serves amounting in area to 46,429
acres, of which 81 ,094 acres, or As per
cent, is government land. This brings
| the total area of the Hawaiian forest
reserves, now sixteen in number, up Ia
4 A a A 4 = q ~ n IN