Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1897-06-11

Nj 4G44NSOe 0OO Il III ~.
THE FORESTRY ORDER
Clcvelan.l's Decree Set Aside Till March,
1S08-Lands Will he Surveyed
and Mapped.
The Washington bureau of the Sioux
City Journal says: "The forestry or
der of President Cleveland, issued last
February, under which some 81 100000
acres were set aside from the public
domain, has been suspended until
next March. President Mckinley
signed the sundryscivil bill, which con-
tains the compromise amendment con-
corning the forest reservations. tenn
porarily suspending Cleveland's order
and in the meantime modifying its
scope. The reservations created by
the original order are in the states of
Wyoming, Utah, Montana, Washing
ton, Idaho and South Dakota The
lands embraced within them are until
March l, 1898, subject to sale and en-
try, under laws, like any other lands in
the United States. In the meantime
the secretary of the interior is directed
to make survey of the territory in
question in order that the president
may restore permanently such part of
them as may be thought expedient
without taking from public domain
any unnecessary agricultural and min
eral domains that have already been
taken up by actual settlers under min
ing or lumber claims. The sweeping
order of Feb. % included q. great deal
of land that is already under pre-emp-
tion, as we'll as several million acres
that are more valuable for agriculture
than for timber. It included farms,
mines and mills, which subjected the
government to great many claims for
indemnification. All these can be
avoided when the survey is made, and
President Mckinley will confirm the
the order of his predecessor only so
far as it is necessary to preserve the
forest and protect the water courses in
the northwest.
1t is not believed that great deal of
damage can be done to the forests dur
ing the next nine months, when the
reservation goes into force again, but
the secretary of the interior is author
lied to make such rules and regula-
tions as may be essential to protect
the timber now standing. At the same
time he is authorized, under proper
regulations, to permit the use of the
timber and stone found upon such res
ervation by actual settlers, miners and
prospectors for firewood, mining and
other domestic purposes.
The secretary of the interior has al
ready instructed Prof. Walcott, direc-
tor of the geological survey, to send
parties into the field Immediately for
the purpose of making the surveys,
in order to doas much US possible be-
fore the 1st of next March. The work
will be done by the geological survey
instead of the forestry commission and
Prof. .Walcott will give the work his
personal supervision. He will begin
in the Black Hills of Dakota, which is
the nearest and the most actively dis
puted portion of the territory included
in the late forest reservations. The
surveyors will make Typographical
map, showing the area that is covered
with timber, the character of the tim
Der and the character of the soil. This
map will be accompanied by a de-
tailed report, which will be submitted
to the president in installments, and
he will be governed by his recommen-
dations in renewing or modifying the
order of President Cleveland. After
the Black Hills have been surveyed it
is the intention to move westward,
but there will be several parties in the
field before the end of the month.
The late report of the forestry com
mission contains an elaborate plan for
a permanent organization for the pro-
lection and preservation of the tim
Der reservations. 1t provides for the
appointment of one director of forests,
an assistants director and four inspec-
tors, who are to have charge of all mat
ters relating to the forests on the pub
lie domain. This domain, for the pur-
poses of convenience is divided into
four departments. First, $685., 200
acres in California and Nevada; second,
12,G7l 300 acres in Oregon and Wash
ington; 6,141, 400 acres in Arizona, New
Mexico, Colorado and Utah, and
fourth, 9,1l744o acres in Wyoming,
South Dakota, Montana, Idaho and
Washington.
Each of these divisions is to be un-
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