78 
REPORT OF THE SUPERINTENDENT OF FORESTRY. 
Honolulu, Hawaii, Feb. 21, 1908. 
Committee on Forestry, 
Board of Agriculture and Forestry, 
Honolulu, Hawaii. 
Gentlemen : — 
For some time there has been before the Board the question of 
a forest reserve in the District of Hamakua, Island of Hawaii. 
Various reports * and other recommendations have been con- 
sidered and in general the matter has received careful attention. 
But feeling that opportunity should be given for a still further 
expression of opinion it was voted, at a meeting of the Board 
held on January 15, 1908, "that the Board of Commissioners of 
Agriculture and Forestry request the Superintendent of Forestry 
to visit the Hamakua District at the earliest opportunity and in- 
quire of the owners of the land in said District below the 3000 
foot elevation as to whether they are in favor of having a forest 
reserve above the agricultural lands in the District; if so, what 
should be the nature of said' forest reserve ; and that the Superin- 
tendent submit his findings, together with his own recommenda- 
tions in connection therewith to the Forestry Committee." 
Pursuant to this action I at once visited Hamakua, being 
away from Honolulu from January 24, to February 6, 1908. On 
January 25, a meeting of the managers of the several sugar plan- 
tations in Hamakua was held at Honokaa, while during the fol- 
lowing week many other persons, residents of Hamakua or those 
otherwise directly interested in the District, were interviewed. 
Mr. F. D. Creedon accompanied me as stenographer and took 
down the statements made. These are submitted as an appendix 
to this report. 
At the request of the Committee on Forestry, as a further part 
of the investigation, I also made an examination of the present 
condition of the various homestead tracts in Hamakua. The re- 
sult of this study will form the subject of another report. 
It may be noted here that in this report the term "Hamakua" 
is used to include only that part of the District lying to the East 
of Waipio Gulch below the Mamani forest belt on Mauna Kea. 
* Especially two reports by the Superintendent of Forestry; one dated 
October 31, 1907, concerning the lease proposed by the Kukaiau Planta- 
tion Company; the other, dated November 11, 1907, on the proposition 
to create a general forest reserve in the District. These reports both 
contain statements' of fact, with reasons for the recommendations made 
therein. 
