The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-02-23
More Than Twerty Million Acres Added to
the Forest Reserve by Thirteen
PrOclamatiOns
Far-Reaching in Effect.
important to the West.
The Most Valuable Body Of Timber in the
Interior Of the Continent Is
Included

WASHINGTON. Feb. 22.-President
Cleveland celebrated the 165th anniver-
sary Of the birth of George Washing
ton by issuing thirteen executive or
ders far-reaching in their effect. On
the recommendation of Secretary Fran
CHS and forestry commission of the
national academy of sciences (appoint-
ed by Prof. Wolcott Gibbs, the presi-
dent Of the academy the president
signed and promulgated thirteen proc
lamations establishing as many ad-
ditional forest reservations containing
an aggregate area of 21,379, $40 acres.
Secretary Francis report to the
president on the subject shows that
the commission visited most or all Of
the forest reservations and other pub
lie forests of the United States, de-
voting three months of hard travel and
careful study, without compensation,
to the work assigned them. The
amount of land in each reservation al
ready entered under the general land
laws is, the secretary points out. in
significant, and the portions Of the
area described are exempted from the
proclamations. Some of the sections
are within the limits of railroad grants
and in such cases an executive procla-
nation only reserves the alternate Sec
tions. This is notably the case in the
Priest river forest reserve, which the
report of the commission characterizes
as the most valuable body of timber
in the interior of the continent"
The secretary will submit to congress
bill authorizing the secretary of the
interior to indemnify the beneficiaries
in any of these railroad land grants,
included within the limits Of forest
reservations established by proclama-
tlon of the president, by patenting to
them an equal quantity of other por-
uonS Of the public domain within
specified limits. The secretary further
shows that under the law authorizing
the president to establish these reser-
Vations sixteen such reservations have
heretofore been set aside aggregating
an area of 1880, 900 acres .-.- ..-7
All of the thirteen prOclamations
are similar in terms, except those pOr-
tions giving a description of the lands
affected by each. After a description
of the lands set aside the proclaana-
tions except from their force and eff
fects all lands which may have been,
prior to the date hereof embraced in
any legal entry and covered by any
lawful filing duly of record in. the
proper United States land office, or
upon which any valid settlement has
been made pursuant to law, and the
statutory period within which to make
entry or filing of record has not ex-
pired; and all mining claims duly locat-
ed and held according to the laws of
the United States and rules and regu-
lations not in conflict Herewith. The
location and area of the reservations
are as follows:
No. THE Black Hills reserve embraces
the central portion of the Black Hills Of
South Dakota. and has an estimated area of
967 $50 acres.
No. 2-The Big Horn reserve is situated in
Northern Central Wyoming, and embraces
both slopes of the Big Horn mountain. It's
area is 1893, $50 acres.
No. 3-The Teton reserve lies adjacent to
the Yellowstone National park timberland re-
serve. being south thereon, and contains
1929 440 acres
No. 4-The Flat Head reserve embraces
both slopes Of the main Rocky mountain
range, or continental divide, in Northern
Montana. and extends from near the line of
the Great Northern railroad northward to the
international boundary. 1t contains an est.-
mated area of 1882 400 acres.
No. 5-The Lewis and Clarke forest reser-
walton embraces both slopes of the conti-
mental divide in Montana, and extends from
the line of the Great Northern railroad
southwark nearly to the 47th degree of north
latitude. and has an estimate area of
2,426 0S0 acres.
No. 6-The Priest River forest reserve oc-
cupies the basin of the Priest lake and Priest
river in the extreme northern part of Idaho
and in Northeastern Washington, and extends
from a point a few miles north of the line Of
the Great Northern railroad to the interna-
tional boundary. Its area is estimated at
552, $50 acres in Idaho and 92160 acres in
Washington, a total of 645,120 acres. In this
reservation the Western white pine grows to
a large size. 1t is within the limits Of the
Northern Pacific railroad grant, and conse-
quently the government owns only the alter
nate sections within the limits of said grant.
No. THE Bitter Root forest reserve lies
on both sides of the boundary between
Montana and Idaho. The total estimated area
is 4,147 200 acres, of which 691 200 are in
Montana and 456, ,0G0 in Idaho.
No. 8-The Washington forest reserve is
located in the state of Washington, and ex-
tends from above the 12Oth deg of west longi-
tude to nearly the 1920 degree from the inter
national boundary southwark to little be-
low the 48th degree of latitude. 1t contains
an estimated area of 3,540,240 acres. The re-
gion embraced extends over both slopes of the
Cascade mountains, and is exceedingly broken
and entirely clothed with forests. The re-