330 



Although the Forestry Department in Hawaii has not, as 

 yet, much to show in the way of material returns, it is of 

 immense advantage to the people of this Territory to have the 

 principles upon which they should proceed, intelligently 

 studied out on the ground and clearly expressed, so that the 

 lay man may understand why it is good economy to lumber 

 one section of the island forests and not to do so in another. 



THE FACTS INVOLVEID. 



Air. Hosmer's report brings out the line of demarcation 

 between the watershed and the non-watershed territory so 

 clearly, that all that needs to be further said in this connec- 

 tion is to make a few quotations from his report. 



After describing the nature of the forested area, Mr. FIos- 

 mer says : 



''AH over the area are springs, pools and swamps that feed 

 the various small tributaries to the Wailuku river and its sev- 

 eral branches. Practically the whole drainage basin of this 

 stream is on this land. ^ ^ ^ Very little is known accu- 

 rately of the actual sources of the water in the streams or 

 from which part of the forest they are most largely fed ; but 

 the indications are that from one-third to one-half of the 

 water comes from the area of pure Ohia forest, while the re- 

 mainder is the result of springs and swamps lower down. 

 These springs are dependent for their sustained and equalized 

 flow on the protection afforded by the forest cover. * * * 



''Having given the problem thorough and careful study, 

 both on the ground and in its various relations, I cannot re- 

 port favorably on the proposition to lumber this tract. 



"My principal reasons for this decision are three in number. 



PROTECTIO'N OF WATER FLOW. 



"FIRST: I BELIEVE THE GREATEST VALUE OF 

 THE FOREST ON PIIHONUA TO BE IN THE IN- 

 FLUENCE', WHICH IT HAS ON THE BRANCH OF 

 THE WAILUKU RIVER AND ITS BRANCHES, I. E., 

 ON THE EFFECT THE FOREST EXERTS ON THE 

 WATER AFTER IT REACHES THE SURFACE, BY 

 EOUALIZING THE FLOW AND PREVENTING EX- 

 CESSIVE RUN OFF. 



"In view of use and possible further development for water 

 power, irrigation and even for domestic supply — especially in 

 connection with the growth of Hilo town — I regard the Wai- 

 luku as one of, if not, the most important stream protected 

 by a forest reserve in the Territory. 



