Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1922-03-16
MAYTRADEF0R
LAND OUTSIDE
j, S. FORESTS
Congress Passes Measure Pro
viding Exchange of Areas
Held by Private Owners
Timber May Also Be Accepted
for Territory Surrendered
within National Reserves

Private owners of land within any
of the national forests will be enabled
10 relinquish their holdings to the gov
eminent and receive in exchange
equal value of national forest land
in the same state, advantageously To-
Gated. under the terms of a general
bill which passed the senate last Au-
gust and passed the house March 6.
This bill contemplates that, where ma
1tional forest land is taken in exchange,
such land shall be eliminated from the
forest and shall pass absolutely
to the party making the exchange.
The bill also permits the accept
ance of timber in exchange for land
surrendered within national forest.
Numerous bills have been 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 service
and interior department that gen
eral law should be enacted, applicable
to all, so future special legislation
will not be necessary.
TEXT OF FOREST BILL
The bill, as passed, reads as follows:
"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 secretary
of the interior be, and hereby is, au-
thorized, in his discretion, to accept,
on behalf of the United States, title to
any lands within the exterior boun-
diaries of the national forests which,
in the opinion of the secretary of ag-
riculture, are chiefly valuable for ma
tiOnal forest purposes, and in ex-
change therefor may patent not to
exceed an equal value of such ma
tional 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-
ton in the county or counties in which
may be situated the lands to be ac-
eepted, and in some like newspaper
published in any county in which may
be situated any lands or timber to be
given in such exchange.
MORE LANDS IN FOREST
shall be cut and removed under the
laws and regulations relating to the
national forests, and under the direc-
ton and supervision and in accord
ance with the requirement of the sec
rotary of agriculture. Lands conveyed
TO the United States under this act
shall, upon acceptance of title, be
come parts of the national forest with
IN whose exterior boundaries they are
located
The report of the house public lands
committee sets forth the necessity for
TINS legislation, and in part said:
The act of March 3, 1891, author
ized the president to set apart as pub
ne reservations lands covered with |
TIMBER, but it was not until June 4, |
1917, that these timber lands were au-
norlzed by congress to be admins |
Tered, , Upon the passage of the act of
iosa many national forests were es
taohshed as soon as the timbered areas |
could be definitely located. Prior to
,ne time boundaries were established |
however, numerous tracts of land |
bearing heavy bodies of timber and |
exceedingly valuable for timber pur
poses were disposed of under the vari
GUS public land laws. Frequently also
grants had been made to railroads and |
lor military wagon roads within the
Neinity of these natural units, for for
est administration. On account of the |
.n'termngled character of these scat
sered holdings, the forest boundaries
~, ,ouid not be drawn to exclude them.
a. me lands thus acquired were usually |
.ne most accessible and those of the
sieatest value in those timbered re-
Slons When the national forest
Youndaries were fixed an effort was
Eaue so far as possible to draw the
my 10 exclude parts not in govern
HIT ne ownership. For that reason the
youndarles of the forests frequently
.naeandered back end forth, following
une vagaries of private alterations. In
sny instances large tracts of lands,
f'incipaliy in private ownership, with
(Continnsd an yast noraN