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REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON FORESTRY. 



Honolulu, T. H., June 6, 1906. 



Board of Commissioners of 



Agriculture and Forestry, 



Honolulu, Oahu. 



Gentlemen : — Your Committee on Forestry have had under 

 consideration the report of Ralph S. Hosmer, Superintendent of 

 Forestry, dated March 31, 1906, recommending- the establish- 

 ment of a forest reserve in the District of Kau. After giving 

 the matter careful consideration your Committee approve of the 

 recommendation of the said report and recommend that the 

 Governor be requested to declare the area therein recommended 

 to be a forest reserve, and to set apart the governmnt lands 

 Iving within the boundaries of such proposed reserve, which are 

 available for such purpose, as a forest reservation. 



Your Committee note with pleasure and commendation the 

 public and enlightened spirit in which the Hawaiian Agricultural 

 Company and the Hutchinson Plantation Company have treated 

 the forest question in this district. The great bulk of the lands 

 involved in this proposed reservation are under long term leases 

 to the two corporations in question, which leases are about to 

 expire, with no assurance that the present lessees will again se- 

 cure the lands. Notwithstanding this fact and that they were 

 paying rent on the land in forest, the two corporations in ques- 

 tion have fenced out large forest areas from stock and have 

 largely developed the water supply on the same, by means of 

 tunnels and ditches and have built lengthy and expensive fences 

 for the sole and express purpose of preserving the forest. 



The Hutchinson Company has built 17 miles of fence and the 

 Hawaiian Agricultural Company 35 miles of fence in this con- 

 nection, at their own expense and without cost to the govern- 

 ment. As a result of this wise policy the forest enclosed has not 

 only held its own but has recovered and reforested a large area 

 which had become more or less damaged by cattle ; while a large 

 amount of water has been developed where practically no water 

 available for economical purposes previously existed. 



If the same enlightened policy were pursued throughout the 



