Bisbee daily review., 1906-06-30
Government Act That Throws Open Much Rich Land That Is Now Withheld From Entry Goes Into Effect,
Applications for Land Must Be Sent to Washington, Those Having Settled Prior to 1906 Being Given Preference,

Leon F. Kneipp, supervisor of the Pecos forest reserve, and acting su- Deryisor of the Jemez forest reserve, has received instructions from the de- partment of agriculture in reference to the enforcement of an act just passed by Congress which provides for declaring open for settlement of agrl- cultural lands within forest reserves. This is the measure for which New Mexico has petitioned and worked ever since the establishment of forest reserves within the territory and the inclusion of good agricultural and grazing lands within such reserves.
 Under the act the secretary of agri- culture may use his discretion about examining and listing lands as agr!- cultural Only lands chiefly valuable for agriculture and not needed for ad- ministrative purposes by the forest service of for some other public use can be thus classified. Areas known to have been occupied by actual set tiers prior to January 1, 1906, will be examined first, and when such area is found to be chiefly agricultural it will be listed in order that the occupants may enter it under the act. The mere fact that . man has settled upon land will. however, not influence the decis- ion with respect to its agricultural character. Land covered with a mer- chantabIe growth of timber will not be declared agricultural except upon the strongest evidence of it's value for agricultural purposes, both as to pro- duction and accessibility to market.
 Anyone who was a bona fide settler ou land within forest reserve before January 1. 1906, but vho h3s already exercised or lost his homestead priv ilege. may. if otherwise qualified, make homestead entry, but must pay s2.50 per acre for any lands entered. The first preference right will be given persons who settled upon such lands prior to January 1, 1906. The second preference right to enter any particu- lar listed tract will be given to per sons who apply to have the classifica- tion made. All applications under this act must be forwarded by mail to the Forester, Washington, D. C., by the applicant.
 Applications dated and mailed be- fore the bill has become a law will have no value. No examination of more than one-quarter section will be ordered upon the application of the same person, but if an application is withdrawn or rejected second appli- cation will be received for other land.
 All applications must give the name of the forest reserve and describe the land by legal subdivisions, and if not surveyed, by reference to natural ob- jects, streams or improvements. For est officers must not make application under the act
 Upon the filing of any such list or description by the department of az riculture, the secretary of the interior snail declare the said lands open to homestead settlement. and entry in tracts not exceeding -'' acres in area and not exceeding one Lille in length. To be done at the expiration of sixty days from the flIlng of the list in the land office of the uIstrict within which the lands are located. Such list shall be advertised not less than four weeks in one newspaper in the county in which the lan|.s are situated.
 The forest reserves of California are excepted and the Black Hill forest re serve of South Dakota is in part ex- cepted from the provisions of the bill. Santa Fe New Mexican.