168 
damage by stock by suitable fencing for the past 23 years, 
the native forest is renewing itself naturally and in another 
ten years will furnish a cover that will be satisfactory for 
water conservation purposes. This process should be hast- 
ened, however, by artificial tree planting. 
To accomplish the above, and to put a permanent end to 
the grazing of stock on the land it will, in my opinion, ])e 
necessary for the Territory to own the land. 
The Kahanui Region 
Approximately three miles southeast of the above-described 
region, in the heart of the wet forest between the govern- 
ment land of Kalamaula in the forest reserve and Waikolu 
Valley is the land of Kahanui contained in Grant 3,437 to R. 
W. Meyer comprising 1,048.00 acres. I am informed that 
when Mr. Meyer first put cattle on this land he had to cut 
roads through a heavy native forest jungle in order to drive 
the cattle into this mountain pasture. The inevitable result 
has followed here — the conversion of a water conserving 
forest to a Hilo grass area dotted with dead trees. 
A forest cover is very necessary here in order to conserve 
the headwaters of the Waihanau Stream which originate on 
this land and the waters of which the Hawaiian Homes Com- 
mission needs and is planning to use in the development of 
farms on the lowland. Cattle grazing on the watershed is a 
detriment and the land should be owned by the government, 
all cattle removed and kept off, and the land reforested either 
artificially or naturally. 
Previous Report 
When the reserve was made, ten years ago, the desirability 
of acquiring title to these lands, as being the only means of 
terminating their use for grazing and of bringing back a much- 
needed forest on the land was felt and was expressed by my 
predecessor in the following excerpt from his report of July 
25, 1912, on the Molokai Forest Reserve : 
''With the exception of the Meyers' lands, practically all 
the areas included within the reserve are now under forest 
or in process of being forested. * * *The Meyers' lands, on 
the contrary are now used regularly for grazing, and it is the 
intention of the owners to continue so to use them. The larger 
part of the Meyers' lands within the forest reserve limits are 
now open. 
'Tn my judgment it would be for the best interests of the 
island as a whole were these particular lands again got under 
forest, more especially the portion of Kahanui bordering the 
great Waikolu Gulch, through which land run the small 
