8 4 
in a word, have been the conservative thing to do, for a forest 
can always be opened up, whereas often it can not be replaced. 
Had I been in a position to do so, I believe I should have 
recommended such a reservation, just as I now and hereby recom- 
mend to the private owners of forest land in Hamakua to go 
slow in the further opening up of the woods that remain. It is 
so very much easier to destroy than to replace a forest that where 
a forest yet exists it is only the part of conservative wisdom to 
weigh carefully all the arguments for and against, before clear- 
ing additional areas. Especially is this so where, as in the Ku- 
kuihaele Private Forest Reserve, the question comes in of an 
actually flowing stream. Unfortunately, on the Government 
lands in Hamakua it is now in most cases too late to take any 
steps that would be effective. 
THE QUESTION AT ISSUE IN HAMAKUA. 
Having set forth the facts of the case and the reasons that 
caused the Government to relinquish the idea of a forest reserve 
on the upper lands at the west end of Hamakua, it remains to 
discuss whether the Government should d'o anything toward a 
reserve in the rest of the district, or whether it shall be said : 
"The time when a forest reserve could have been made is past. 
It is now too late. Therefore, let the project be abandoned and 
the forest officials turn their attention to other districts." 
The Belt of Existing Forest. 
From the showing of facts I believe that whatever might, and 
perhaps ought to have been done in the past it is not now either 
feasible or wise for the Government to attempt a general forest 
reserve in Hamakua. My reasons for this belief are : 
(1) That under existing conditions and taking into account 
the porosity of the soil in Hamakua, it is questionable if any 
forest reserve that could now be made would be of sufficient 
benefit for water shed protection and' for the prevention of 
erosion to make it worth while; especially as the section that 
would benefit most by such protection is the very part that has 
passed into the control of numerous small owners. 
(2) That the Government lands that could now be set apart 
are too scattered and too small in area, even when taken in com- 
bination with the private forest reserves to make it an object to 
set them apart. 
(3) That the influence which such area of existing forest as 
could now be reserved might exert on the local climate would be 
inappreciable. 
(4) That when it comes to the use of the remaining Gov- 
ernment land in the existing forest belt in Hamakua as a com- 
mercial forest, from which wood might in time be sold, there are 
