202 



rest of the month and not already touched on in this report resulted as 

 follows. I had planned if possible to visit and see as much as possible 

 of each reserve on this island. By dividing up the work with my assist- 

 ant it is hoped to complete this program during August. 



HILO rOEEST EESEEVE. 



The work of surveying and marking the revised boundary of the 

 Hilo Forest Eeserve progressed from Waawaa Stream in Hakalaunui to 

 Pohakupuka Stream in Mauluanui, a distance of approximately six miles. 

 Inclement weather has somewhat interfered with the transit work. With 

 my assistant I checked up the line as run across the government land of 

 Piihonua, and discovered that there are additional areas, amounting to 

 approximately 387 acres, which are covered with dense forest on the 

 ridges and along the branches of the Wailuku Eiver, which should prop- 

 erly be in the forest reserve. The surveyor wall revise the line so as to 

 include such areas. The surveying of the whole line should be completed 

 in another month. 



On July 26 and 27, we made an inspection of the government lands 

 near the northw-est corner of the Hilo Forest Eeserve. Here the forest 

 boundary fences are all in good condition and tame cattle are doing no 

 damage to the forest on government lands. In the upper part of Piha 

 the forest is recovering splendidly as a result of the protection given 

 by the fencing which I'was instrumental in constructing, in cooperation 

 with the Kukaiau Eanch, five years ago. The young koa trees are in 

 a very flourishing condition and beneath and around them there is a 

 good stand of ferns. In marked contrast is the adjacent private land 

 of Maulua, leased by the Kukaiau Eanch and «sed as a pasture. Here 

 the forest is now more open as a result of grazing, the undergrowth of 

 ferns and shrubs is largely depleted, and the killing of practically all 

 of the young koa trees by the cattle chewing the bark will mean that 

 if such conditions continue there will be no young forest to take the 

 place of the veteran trees wiiich will eventually die. 



From the forester 's viewpoint, it is very desirable that the title to 

 ]\raulua, which is wdthin the boundaries of the Hilo Forest Eeserve, be 

 acquired by the Territory, so that it may be handled under the same 

 protection scheme along with adjacent government lands. The same 

 applies to the privately owned land of W^ipunalei, w^hich is used by 

 the Parker Eanch as a pasture. 



PEOPOSED MANOWAIALEE FOEEST EESEEVE. 



On Jul}^ 27, I rode out of the Hilo Forest Eeserve at an elevation of 

 3,300 feet, finding the last land at the north end of the reserve, Humuula, 

 belonging to the government, in excellent condition. Going westward 

 the next land crossed was Manowaialee, government land under lease 

 to the Kukaiau Eanch until September 9, J928; then Kaiwiki, Bishop 

 Estate la".d leased to the same ranch, and then Niujiea, government land 

 under a lease similar to Manowaialee. The next land encountered was 

 the privnte land of Kaala, but this is open pasture land on account of 

 fire and grazing, and on which the forest has almost disappeared. 



- At the lower ends of Manow^aialee and Kaiwaki small sections of 

 forest are protected by fencing clauses in the leases, but these tw^o lands 

 and the government land of Niupea sustain a much larger area of good 

 jungle forest up to about 4,000 feet in elevation, which should not be 

 allowed to be destroyed by grazing. This is in the region of Hamakua, 

 where the rainfall lessens and every bit of forest is needed to conserve 

 the rainfall in a section of the country where water is often at a pre- 

 mium. As yet the forest on about 1,630 acres is in good condition and 

 not damaged by grazing except toward the Kaala end. It will be years 

 before the land can be converted from forest to a decent pasture. In 



