Bonners Ferry herald. [volume] (Bonners Ferry, Idaho) 1904-current, 1922-03-16
PASS A new
EXCHANGE BILL
MEASURE BEING CONSIDERED IN
CONGRESS TO PERMIT THE
TRANSFER OF LANDS
WILL BENEFIT PRIVATE OWNERS
Proposed Exchange Bill Would Con-
sOIidate National Forests.

Private owners of land within any
of the national forests will be enabled
to relinquish their holdings to the gov
ernment and get in exchange an equal
value of national forest land in the
same state, advantageously located,
under the terms of a general bill
which passed the senate last August
and passed the house March 6. This
bill contemplates, of course, that
where national forest land is taken in
exchange, such land shall be elimi-
mated from the forest and shall pass
absolutely to the party making the ex-
change. The bill also permits the ac-
ceptance of timber in exchange for
land surrounded within a national
forest.
There has been numerous bills pre-
sented to and passed by congress in
recent years, authorizing such ex-
changes, and it is the view of the de-
partment of agriculture, forest SER
vice and interior department that a
general law should be enacted, appfi-
cable to all, so that future special leg
islation will not be necessary.
The bill, as passed, reads as fol-
lows:
BE it enacted by the senate and
house of representatives of the United
States of America, in congress assem-
bled, that, when the public interest
will be benefited thereby, the secre-
tary of the interior be and hereby is,
authorized, in his discretion, to ac-
cept, on behalf of the United States.
title to any lands within the exterior
boundaries of the national forests
which, in the opinion of the secre-
tary of agriculture, are chiefly valu-
able for national forest purposes, and
In exchange therefor may patent not
to exceed an equal value of such ma
uona1 forest land, in the same state.
surveyed and non-mineral in charac-
ter, or the secretary of agriculture
may authorize the grantor to cut and
remove an equal value of timber with
in the national forests of the same
state; the values in each case to be
determined by the secretary of agri
culture.
Provided, that before any such ex
change is effected, notice of the con-
templated exchange, reciting the lands
involved, shall be published, without
expense to the United States. once
each week for four successive weeks,
In some newspaper of general circula-
tion in the county or counties in which
may be situated the lands to be ac-
cepted, and in some like newsnaner
published in any county in which may
be situated any lands or timber to be
given In such exchange.
Timber given in such exchanges
shall be cut and removed under the
laws and regulations relating to the
national forests, and under the direc-
tion and supervision and in accord
ance with the requirements of the
secretary of agriculture. Lands con-
veyed to the United States under this
act shall, upon acceptance of title. be-
come parts of the national forest
within whose exterior boundaries
they are located.
The report of the house public lands
committee sets forth the necessity for
this legislation, and in part said:
The act of March 8, 1891, author
lied the president to set apart as pub
lie reservations lands covered with
timber, but it was not until June 4.
1897, that these timber lands were
authorized by congress to be admin
istered. Upon the passage of the act
OF 1897 many national forests were
by congress to be estab-
lished as soon as the timbered
areas could be definitely located.
Prior to the time boundaries were es-
tablished, however, numerous tracts
OF land bearing heavy bodies of tim
Der and exceedingly valuable for tim
Der purposes were disposed of under
the various public land laws. Fre-
quently also grants had been made
to railroads and for military wagon
roads within the vicinity of these |
natural units, for forest administra-
ton. On account of the intermingled
character of these scattered holdings.
the forest boundaries could not be
drawn to exclude them. The lands
thus acquired were usually the most
accessible and those of the greatest
value in those timbered regions. When
the national forest boundaries we're
formed an effort was made so far as Il