39 



ceive first mention this month in that they are the initial fencing 

 projects to he done under the new law giving the Division of 

 Forestry the use of half of the revenues from water licenses. 



The fence at Moloaa is on the boundary of the Moloaa Forest 

 Reserve and continues other new fences required under Govern- 

 ment leases of adjoining land. By means of them, with other 

 fences already existing, the whole mauka section from the Ana- 

 hola Ridge to Kalihiwai is now protected from cattle. As there 

 are a number of small valleys carrying water in this reserve the 

 effective protection of the slopes is a matter of no small impor- 

 tance. With the hillsides draining into these valleys protected it 

 is reasonable to expect that more dependance can be placed on 

 the streams as sources of local water supply. The fence at Maka- 

 wao, Maui, encloses the area adjacent to the Waihou Spring", one 

 of the very few permanent sources of water on the western 

 slope of Mt. Haleakala. 



On January 26. in response to a call for tenders, bids were re- 

 ceived and opened for the construction of two more forest fences 

 — respectively at Ninole, Kau, Hawaii, and at Lualualei. Oahu. 

 The Ninole contract was awarded to Chas. H. Will of Hilo. the 

 lowest bidder. All the tenders of the Lualualei job were rejected 

 as being too high in cost. Other arrangements are, however, be- 

 ing perfected, under which it is expected that this latter fence 

 will be built. 



Several matters in connection with Government lands in the 

 Honolulu Watershed Forest Reserve, Oahu, referred to me dur- 

 ing the month, have received attention and will be reported on 

 to the Board in the near future. With the regular routine work 

 of the office the investigation of these questions has occupied most 

 of my own time during the latter part of the month. 



Forest Fire at Luakaha. 



On January 26, a forest fire was reported in Xuuanu A'alle}', 

 on Government land on a spur of the Pacific Heights ridge, just 

 mauka of the C. M. Cooke place. It was discovered by Mr. L. A. 

 Moore of the Waterworks Department, who began the fight. 

 Chief Thurston of the Honolulu Fire Department sent a squad 

 of men who worked hard to put the fire under control. David 

 Haughs, with men from the Government Nursery, completed the 

 work and stayed to patrol the area until all danger was past. I 

 am indebted personally to Mr. J. C. Dort of the Division of 

 Hydrography for taking me up to the fire on his motorcycle. 



The area burned over is on a steep-sided ridge, that was cov- 

 ered below with dry grass, higher up with staghorn fern, and 

 above with Koa trees and ie-ie vine. The fire was put out in the 

 Koa grove, some trees being killed. About ten acres all told were 

 burned over. It is not known how the fire started, but the evi- 

 dence seems to point to a cigar or cigarette butt dropped by some- 



