68 
In South Kona, however, the chief value of the forest rests 
in wood rather than water. It is one of the few forest areas 
in the Territory where the Hawaiian trees have commercial 
value for lumber and where it is advisable that the forest be 
looked upon as a producer of wood rather than primarily as 
a protective cover. In earlier reports I have made clear the 
distinction between "protection" and "commercial" forests, 
and have done all I could to establish it as a policy that 
wherever water was to be got, the right thing to do was to 
hold the area strictly intact as a " protective forest." 
Now, just as most of our already established forest re- 
serves, especially on the windward side of the islands, are of 
the protective class, so the proposed South Kona Reserve 
stands as a itype of the commercial class. Judiciously handled 
I believe that when the right time comes, this forest should 
be logged, provided, of course, that the work is done under 
careful restriction and in accordance with forestry methods. 
This can best be accomplished if the area is set apart now as 
a forest reserve. 
It is not necessary at this time to go further into the matter 
of how logging operations should be conducted. If the lands 
are set apart now, plans for the wise utilization of the timber 
on them can follow. It need only be said here that in all 
such work the ultimate object is to put all the land to the 
best use. If some of the area now under forest proved to be 
agricultural in character and was so located that it could be 
opened up to advantage, the policy of wise use would require 
that it be taken out of the forest reserve and so developed. 
If it were found to be land that because of its character can 
produce trees better than other crops, or that for other reasons 
was more needed in forest, the thing to do is to manage 
the forest so that one stand of trees may be succeeded by 
another. This area, set apart as a forest reserve, will be in 
a position where plans for its wise use — be it by protection 
or by conservation utilization — can more effectively be put 
in force. 
Believing, then, that the best interests of the Territory will 
be served by the setting apart of these lands as a forest re- 
serve. I do now recommend that the Board of Agriculture 
and Forestry approve this project and call upon the Governor 
of the Territory to hold the required hearing and thereafter, 
by proclamation, to create the South Kona Forest Reserve. 
Accompanying this report [but here omitted] is the tech- 
nical description of boundary, illustrated by blueprint maps 
prepared by the government Survey Office. 
V ery respectfully, 
Ralph S. Hosmer, 
Superintendent of Forestry. 
