Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 1886-1927, 1906-06-22
FOREST RESERVES
OPEN TO H0MESTEADERS
Settlers May Enter Land But
Cannot Commute Their
Claims.

One Of the most important pieces Of
public land legislation enacted at the
present session of Congress is the law
permitting the homesteading Of agri-
cultural land in forest reserves. This
legislation is important not alone in
that it places these valuable farm areas
within the reach of the homeseeker,
but also because it knocks out the
most pronounced objection to the
government forest reserve system. OF
all the protests made against forest
reserves and their extension, none
was so widespread as the argument
that reserves Withdrew from settle.
ment and entry countless, fertile val
leys lying along streams that had been
brought within forest reservations.
That objection can no longer be
raised, for this land can be entered in
the manner prescribed in the new law.
President Roosevelt and the Public
Lands Commission have recognized
that the government forest policy is
not perfect, and it has been their en-
deavor to bring about such changes as
will meet Legitimate objection. They
soon saw the justice of the demand
of men who sought to make homes in
the attractive valleys which penetrate
every forest reserve of the West, and
at the very beginning of the present
session the president urged the enact
ment of law such as that which has
just gone on the statute books. He
called the attention of congress to the
recommendations on this subject
made by the Public Lands Commits
sion, and in due course of time the
bill went through,
The bill in substance provides that
the secretary of agriculture, in his
discretion, may examine and deter |
mine the location and extent of land |
within forest reserves, permanent or
temporary, which are chiefly valuable
for agriculture and which may be
occupied for agricultural purposes
without injury to the forest reserves,
and shall file with the Secre.
tary of the Interior list and
description of all such land, with a
request that the same be opened to
entry under the homestead laws. The
Secretary of the Interior, upon receipt
Of this request. will declare the land
open to homestead settlement in tracts
not exceeding 100 acres and not ex.
,eeding 1lsmiles in length. Prior to
the actual opening, however, the fact
Is to be regularly advertised for a
period of 80 days. The law provides
that settlers who occupied land of
his character prior to January /, ,
1906, shall have preference right to
make homestead entry of the same, if
hey can show that they are acting in
rood faith.
lnasmuch as the agricultural land
within reserves usually occurs in long.
narrow strips, the entries must natur-
'lly be described by metes and bounds.
md will be so recorded in the depart.
nent. The communication clause of the ,
homestead law does not apply to land !
within reserves.
A provision has beenlinserted in the
ill to the effect that settlers upon
gricultural land in forest reserves on
anuary /, 1906, who have already ex.
rcised or lost their homestead priv.
ege, but are otherwise competent TO
nter land under the Homestead laws,
hall have the right to make an addi-
ional entry of the reserve land they
c,upy, but must pay, s., 30 per acre
Or it,