26 FORESTS OF THE HAWAIIAN ISLANDS. 



watershed for the water system of Honolulu, has also been planted. 

 Although portions of these are handsome examples of planted forests 

 and are rightlj highl}^ appreciated by the people of the islands, it may 

 fairly be questioned whether the}^ have been profitable, considering 

 their cost. It is certain that they have in no considerable degree 

 compensated for the loss of the native forests during the past twenty 

 years, and it is equally certain that no amount of planting which the 

 government can afi'ord to do can compensate for these losses under 

 present conditions. 



The problem must be solved by first protecting the native forests 

 from the forces which are working their destruction, so that as far as 

 possible nature ma}^ accomplish their reproduction, and then by judi- 

 cious planting in those places where the forest is unable to replace 

 itself. 



PROPOSED FOREST SERVICE. 



The people of Hawaii almost unanimously favor the immediate 

 institution of a system which will protect and restore the mountain 

 forests. Guided by this emphatic sentiment, the last legislature 

 passed a bill creating a forest service, and outlining to some extent a 

 forest policy. Under the law the responsibilitj^ of the service rests 

 on a nonsalaried board of agriculture and forestry, whose duty it is 

 to gather and publish information concerning the forests of the islands, 

 to provide for the introduction, pi'opagation, and planting of useful 

 forest trees, to establish forest reserves so far as necessary for the 

 protection, extension, and utilization of the forests and the safeguard- 

 ing of the sources of water supph% and to protect the forest reserves 

 from damage b}^ cattle and other agencies. 



The board is authorized to appoint a superintendent of forestr}^, 

 who is to be a trained forester, and under the direction of the board 

 is to have immediate charg3 of all forest work. The superintendent 

 of forestry is to have such paid assistants and rangers as the board 

 ma}^ find necessar}^ for handling matters connected with the forests 

 and forest reserves. 



The board is also to appoint in each district one or more consulting 

 foresters, who are to serve without pa}^ and advise with the board 

 concerning forest matters in their districts. 



A biennial appropriation of approximately 128,000 per 3^ear has 

 been made to carr}^ the law into effect. 



The board of agriculture and forestry has invited the Bureau of 

 Forestry of tne United States Department of Agriculture to assume 

 an advisory position in connection with its future policy. On the 

 nomination of the Bureau a trained forester has been appointed as 

 superintendent of forestry, and has alread}^ entered upon his work. 



