297 



and later in the month brought to the point of final action four 

 forest reserve projects that are to be considered at a public hear- 

 ing on October 8, viz : Kohala Mountain, Upper Waiakea, Upper 

 Olaa, Hawaii, and Honolulu Watershed, Oahu. A good share 

 of my time during the remainder of September has been given to 

 the arrangement of details of forest fencing projects and in 

 checking up, at the Land office, the exact requirements under gov- 

 ernment leases as to forest protection and fencing. 



FOREST FENCING. 



I am glad to report that, on September 22, the executive officer 

 of the Board signed letters authorizing the construction of sec- 

 tions of fence on the forest reserve boundaries at Nahiku and at 

 Makawao, Maui, and on September 25 authorized the construc- 

 tion of another similar fence at Moloaa, Kauai. This action 

 marks the actual beginning in the woods of work of which it is 

 expected the next two years will see a good deal — practical forest 

 protection made possible through the use of the water revenues 

 from the forest reserves. 



HONOLULU WATERSHED. 



On September 11, at the request of Major Cheatham, chief 

 quartermaster for Hawaii, U. S. Army, there were cut, under my 

 personal supervision, in the Tantalus forest, near the Halfway 

 house, nine eucalyptus trees, from which were taken 15 gate posts 

 for use of the signal corps at Fort Shafter. 



During September laborers working under the direction and 

 at the expense of the Trail and Mountain Club and Mr. W. R. 

 Castle have repaired in a satisfactory manner the so-called 

 "Castle" trail along the slope of Pauoa Valley from the hogback 

 on Tantalus to Pauoa flat and the Konahuanui ridge ; the so-called 

 "Cooke" trail from the Nuuanu dam to Pauoa flat ; and done 

 some work on the Olympus trail as far as the Manoa-Palolo 

 ridge. The Trail and Mountain Club has arranged to continue 

 the work by the construction on this latter section of the neces- 

 sary side and cross drainage ditches, which were not made when 

 the trail was first built, several years ago. With one exception 

 no further slides have taken place along this trail. The places 

 where slips did occur soon after the trail was built are slowly be- 

 ginning to be covered by vegetation. 



In regard to the planting of koa and kukui in the Makiki basin 

 on the slopes of Sugar Loaf, substantial progress has been made 

 during the month in making ready for the actual setting out of 

 the little trees, which will commence with the coming of the 

 winter rains. Mr. Haughs' report gives the details of this work. 



