487 



the creation of the Puu Ka Pele Forest Reserve, and that the 

 Governor be requested to cause the land to be so set apart. 



Respectfully submitted, 



C. S. JUDD. 

 Superintendent of Forestry. 



MOKULFIA FOREST RESERVE, OAHU. 



Honolulu, Hawaii, Oct. 16, 1918. 

 Board of Commissioners of Agriculture and Forestry, Honolulu. 



Gentlemen : — I have the honor to recommend the setting 

 apart as a forest reserve of portions of the government lands 

 of Kealia, Kawaihapai, Mokuleia and Kamananui, in the district 

 of W^aialua, Island of Oahu, consisting of 6290 acres, as shown 

 on the attached blueprint map. 



The entire area consists of unleased government land on the 

 high north slope of the Waianae Mountains, starting from Kaala, 

 the highest point on the island, and the United States Military 

 Reservation of W^aianae Uka on the east and the main ridge to 

 the west as 'far as the Kuaokala Forest Reserve, and running 

 northward down to the line of privately-owned grants at an ele- 

 \ation of approximately 1500 feet. This slope is cut up toward 

 the lower end by very steep and precipitous valleys which become 

 shallow as they near the top of the main range. As a rule, the 

 valley bottoms are heavily covered with native trees such as the 

 kukui, while on the ridges the native forest of koa, olopua and 

 lehua has receded, on account of the presence of stock which has 

 unrestrainedly roamed over the lower part of the area in the 

 past, until it is only toward the top of the main range that the 

 heavy, undisturbed native forest is encountered. 



The protection and extension of the forest on this whole area 

 is one of importance and should be undertaken at once because 

 the land drains naturally toward the lower agricultural section to 

 the north and the cane, rice and banana crops which are grown 

 there are partly dependent for irrigation on the twenty-one arte- 

 sian wells sunk in this basin which depend upon the mountain 

 slope for its supply of water. The seventeen pumping plants in 

 this lower area attest the value attached to the water. In addi- 

 tion to these wells, there are four springs, the flow of which 

 would be benefited by additional forest back on the mountain. 



The lower line of this reserve has been located on the ground 

 and marked with the usual pipes, and it is my plan to undertake, 

 in cooperation with the owners or lessees of the adjacent lands, 

 the construction of a fence on this line wherever it is needed to 

 keep stock from getting on to the government land and, as oppor- 

 tunity affords, to reforest the present open areas with suitable 

 trees. 



On account of the importance of this area for water conser- 



