Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1906-06-21
MAY SETTLE ON
FOREST RESERVES
Act to Throw Open
Agricultural
Lands.
SUPERVISORS ARE INFORMED
One of the Chief Objections
to Timber Preservation
Policy Removed.

Leon +. Kneipp, supervisor Of the
Pecos Forest Reserve, and acting su.
pervisor 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 agri-
cultural lands within forest reserves.
This is measure for which New
Mexico has petitioned and worked ever
since the establishment Of forest re-
serves within the Territory and the In.
clusion Of good agricultural and graz
ing lands within such reserves.
Under the act, the Secretary Of Agri-
culture may use his discretion about
examining and listing lands as agri.
cultural, Only lands chiefly valuable
for agriculture and not needed for ad.
ministrative purposes by the Forest
Service or for some other public use
can be thus classified. Areas known
to have been occupied by actual set
tiers prior to January /, 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 1t under the act. The mere
fact that a man has settled upon land
will, however not influence the decis-
ion with respect to its agricultural
character. Land covered with mer-
chantable growth of timber will not
be declared agricultural, except upon
the strongest evidence Of its value for
agricultural purposes, both as to pro-
duction and accessibility to market.
Anyone who was bona fide settler
on land within forest reserve before
January l, 1906, but who has already
exercised or lost his homestead priv
ilege, may, If otherwise qualified, make
homestead entry, but must pay $3.50
per acre for any lands entered. The
first preference right will be given
persons who settled upon such lands
prior to January l, 1906. The second
preference right to enter any particu-
lar listed tract will be given to per-
sons who apply to have the classif-
cation made. All applications under
this act must be forwarded by mail
to the Forester, Washington, D. c.,
by the applicant.
Applications dated and mailed before
the bill has become law will have no
value. No examination of more than
one quarter section VIII be ordered
upon the application of the same per
son, but If an application Is withdrawn
or rejected, second application win
be received for other land. All annli
cations must give the name Of the for
est reserve and describe the land by
legal subdivisions and If not surveyed,
by reference to natural objects,
streams or improvements. Forest offl-
GERS must not make application under
the act.
Upon the filing of any such list or
description by the Department of Ag-
riculture, the Secretary Of the Interior
shall declare the said lands open to
settlement and entry In
tracts not exceeding 100 acres in area
and not exceeding one mile In length,
at the expiration of 60 days from the
filing of the list in the land Office OF
the district within which the lands are
located. Such list shall be advertised
not less than four weeks in one news
paper in the county in which the lands
are situated. The forest reserves of
California are excepted and the Black
Hill Forest Reserve of South Dakota,
is in part excepted from the provisions
of the bill.