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this pest. The recent rapid increase in the wild goat population 
is ascribed to the absence of wild dogs which, before they were 
killed ofif by the ranchers for obvious reasons, kept down the 
number of goats. 
Niihau was entirely cleared of goats some years ago and 
recently Kahoolawe was similarly freed of this pest by a require- 
ment in the government lease of this island. The goat popula- 
tion on Kauai has been held down to a minimum mostly by pot 
hunters who depend largely upon this animal for meat and on 
Oahu wild goats are becoming extremely scarce because of fre- 
quent hunting by soldiers and sportsmen. On Lanai and Molokai 
the goats are held in check by the ranchers but this work must 
continue if the goats are to be properly controlled. 
In sections of Maui and Hawaii, however, the wild goats seem 
imperceptibly to have gotten ahead of the ranchers and today 
constitute a real and serious menace, of which only a few are 
fully aware. Not only are thousands of acres robbed of valuable 
forage grasses which should properly go to the cattle for the meat 
supply of this Territory, but the undergrowth of bushes, ferns, 
and herbaceous plants which form valuable ground cover is being 
entirely consumed or destroyed by goats and the trees which 
form the complement in the scheme of water conservation are 
being barked and killed by this voracious pest. At Kiholo in 
North Kona almost every algaroba tree, established in this dry 
region with great difficulty and most valuable here for the pro- 
duction of forage beans, has been girdled by the wild goats. 
Ranches which have had topographical advantages and have 
been able to develop their fencing plans are comparatively free 
from this pest but other ranches, particularly on the summit 
slopes of Haleakala on Maui and on the upper slopes of Mauna 
Loa on Hawaii, which have large reaches of rough coimtry, 
which harbor goats, are now realizing the great damage which 
is being done, have recognized the need for early action, and 
have appealed to the Territorial government for assistance. 
The Board of Agriculture and Forestry is charged by law to 
rid the forest reserves of live stock and this seems to be the 
natural organization to take up the work of goat control, for the 
goats wander indiscriminately from forest to grazing lands and 
vice versa. 
The rancher can not be held entirely responsible for keeping 
his own lands free from wild goats because of the nomadic habits 
of this beast and therefore asks for government aid with some 
justification. On the other hand, his lands are benefitted by goat 
extermination and for this reason the government should not be 
expected to assume the entire responsibility and cost of this work. 
It should be a cooperative business in which the land holder and 
government meet each other half way. 
Senator R. Hind of Puuwaawaa, North Kona, Hawaii, is one 
who has felt, probably the most seriously, losses from an over- 
population of wild goats and in addition has suffered much loss 
