477 
of  the  Kohala  Mountain  Forest  Reserve  to  the  point  of  beginning. 
These  should  also  be  included  in  the  reserve  the  south  side  of  Puu 
Pili,  to  protect  certain  springs  on  the  lower  slope  of  that  hill. 
In  my  judgment  it  is  very  markedly  to  the  best  interests  of  the 
Kohala  District  that  all  the  land  within  the  limits  just  defined 
should  be  held  permanently  under  a forest  cover.  There  is  a very 
considerable  area  of  agricultural  land  in  Kohala  that  can  only  be 
made  productive  through  irrigation.  The  water  bearing  area  on 
which  the  Kohala  district  has  to  depend  for  its  supply  is  at  best 
limited.  Large  expenditures  have  been  made  to  bring  out  water 
from  this  area  onto  the  agricultural  lands  in  Kohala.  In  such  a 
case  it  is  obvious  that  all  possible  sources  of  supply  should  be 
turned  to  account.  In  the  section  under  discussion  there  are  sev- 
eral springs  and  brooks  that  while  they  are  not  large  are  yet  of 
altogether  too  much  importance  to  be  lost  sight  of.  In  addition  to 
its  value  as  an  actual  source  of  water,  this  section  is  also  impor- 
tant in  that  it  serves  in  a measure  to  protect  the  forest  land  lying 
behind  it,  on  the  main  slope  of  the  mountain.  There  is  always 
a tendency  in  the  Hawaiian  forest  for  the  edge  of  the  woods  to  be 
open  and  in  poor  condition.  Such  an  area  #s  is  now  under  con- 
sideration serves  as  a buffer  and  protects  the  main  reserve  behind. 
With  the  statement  that  all  the  water  that  can  he  made  avail- 
able is  needed  in  the  development  of  the  Kohala  district,  it  follows 
as  a corollary  that  all  the  available  sources  of  water  should  be 
carefully  protected.  The  recession  of  the  forest  in  the  Kohala  dis- 
trict is  one  of  the  most  marked  examples  of  the  change  in  natural 
conditions  that  is  to  be  found  anywhere  in  the  Territory'.  If  the 
edge  of  the  forest  is  permitted  to  be  pushed  further  back  it  is  m3' 
belief  that  the  consequences  to  the  lower  lands  will  be  serious. 
The  use  for  cattle  grazing  of  the  forest  that  now  remains  de- 
creases in  direct  proportion  the  opportunity  of  making  productive 
the  more  valuable  lower  lying  lands,  from  which  could  be  secured 
larger  returns  then  would  ever  be  possible  from  raising  cattle  on 
the  uplands.  Individual  owners  cannot  be  blamed  for  making 
what  for  their  personal  interests  may  appear  to  be  the  best  use 
of  their  own  land.  But  considered  from  a broad  economic  stand- 
point it  is  very  decidedly  to  be  lamented  that  an  area  of  potentially 
good  agriculture  land  should  be  curtailed  through  the  opening  up 
of  water-bearing  forest  areas  that  should  be  kept  permanently  un- 
der a dense  cover  of  vegetation. 
Owing  to  the  diversity  of  interest  it  has  been  impossible  so  far 
to  secure  the  adoption  of  a comprehensive  plan  whereb)  this  sec- 
tion could  be  protected,  although  such  plans  have  from  time  to 
time  been  proposed  and  diligently  advocated  by  different  persons. 
At  the  present  time  renewed  efforts  are  being  made  to  bring  about 
some  sort  of  a feasible  arrangement.  But  in  view  of  the  present 
uncertainty  and  the  bearing  which  some  of  the  complications  of 
the  past  have  on  the  present  situation,  it  has  been  deemed  wise  to 
postpone  definite  recommendations  concerning  the  reservation  of 
this  section,  until  some  future  time.  The  present  section  of  this 
