Insular Possessions. 505 



For Porto Rico, a beginning of forest policy was 

 made by setting aside, in 1903, the Luquillo Forest 

 Reservation, some 20,000 acres in the Eastern moun- 

 tainous part of the island, which is under direct con- 

 trol of the United States government. The rest of 

 public lands and forests was placed under the Depart- 

 ment of the Interior of the island. 



In Hawaii, even before annexation, a movement 

 on the part of the Sugar Planters Association was made 

 in 1897, to induce the insular government to devise 

 protective measures. The result was the appoint- 

 ment of a Committee who made a report in which the 

 writer had a hand. But not until 1903 was a Board of 

 Commissioners of Agriculture and Forestry es- 

 tablished, a Superintendent of Forestry appointed, 

 an organization of district foresters effected, and a 

 number of forest reservations established. The prin- 

 ciple of State forest was fully recognized by planning 

 the gradual withdrawal of some 300,000 acres and by 

 beginning the extension of forested area by plantations. 

 In 1910, 23 reserves with an area of 575,000 acres had 

 been made. Distribution of plant material and of 

 advice to planters is also part of the policy. Annual 

 Reports are issued which attest the good common 

 sense in the administration. 



In the Philippine Islands, a territory of 120,000 

 square miles, largely mountainous, not only the pro- 

 tective but the commercial value of the timberlands 

 is considerable. The extent is variously estimated as 

 covering between 40 and 50 million acres (50% of total 

 area), much of it virgin, and 16 million acres of it com- 

 mercially valuable. Of the seven hundred odd species 



