The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1909-03-13
an adequate force for forest reserve

an adequate force for forest reserve
administration.
The problem of what should be done
is simple. The most important product
of the Hawaiian forest reserves is wa
ter. To get the largest quantities Of
water for the longest time and with as
little huctuation as possible requires in
the case of most Hawaiian streams that
the forest cover ON the catchment basin
be kept strictly intact, and that where
it has once been opened up by cattle
or through other causes, the forest
cover shall be replaced and thereafter
protected and maintained.
Forest Rangers.
Specifically three things are partieu-
larly needed; forest rangers, fences for
certain portions of forest reserve boun-
daries, and fund for fighting forest
fires on government land.
The chief duties of forest rangers
would be to protect the forest reserves
from trespass by stock and from dam
age by forest fire. To accomplish this
it is necessary that the reserves be
properly enclosed and that the fences
be maintained and kept in repair. To
facilitate patrol duty and to enable
the rapid transfer of men in case of
fire, trails should be built and kept in
repair. Added to these duties the
rangers in certain reserves would have
to capture or destroy wild cattle, goats
and other animals at large in the for
est; in others they would be required
to oversee forest planting.
Incidental to more important uses,
trails in certain of the forest reserves
would enable the use of the forests
by the people as parks. Especially is
this true in localities noted for the
beauty or picturesqueness of the seem
cry, or otherwise of interest to visitors.
Examples are the lao Valley in the
West Main Forest Reserve on Maui,
and Konahuanui Peak in the projected
forest reserve above Tantalus, back of
Honolulu. Such use of the forest would
in no way Interfere with the objects
of the reserve, but on the contrary by
familiarizing more people with the for
ests, would tend to bring home to a
larger number the intimate relation
that forest protection bears to the life
of the Territory.
For an at all adequate administra-
tive organization, twelve forest rangers
Fare imperative. This number is meager
in view of. the area to be covered and
the nature of the work to be done, but
twelve efficient men could do much.
Forest Reserve Fencing.
Wherever possible the boundaries of
the forest reserves are made to follow
natural barriers But there are numer-
GUS places where fencing is required.
In many instances short stretch of
fence will protect considerable areas
of forest. Money is needed to fence
such portions of forest reserve boun-
diaries across government lands. Often
it is not possible to make the building
of the fence a condition of the lease
of adjoining government land, so that
in the absence of special fund it is
impossible to get the work done at all.
This results in damage from stock and
in other injury to the forest.
Forest Fire Fund.
1t ought not to require argument to
show the necessity for money with
which to fight forest fires on govern
ment land. Under the present law
owners or lessees of private or of gov
eminent lands can be made to take
active steps to combat fires. But there
is no way in which payment can now
be made for fighting fire on Unbiased
land owned by the government. As
much of the land in the forest reserves
is in this case, the need is one of
pressing Importance. The coming ses-
sion of the Legislature ought not to
end without provision for a special
fund to be used in emergencies.
Damage by Goats.
Under the subject Of Forest Re
serves attention should again be called
to the serious damage resulting to the
forests from the depredations of wild
goats. In my report for 1907 | recon-
mended that Act 116 of the Session
Laws of 1907, requiring the payment
of a hunting license fee, should be so
modified as to permit the free shooting
of wild goats in established forest re-
sorv-ac uropnr of ner-