THE WEEKS BILL 



Sixty ^-first Congress, First Session, H, R, 11798 



IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

 July 23, 1909 



Mr. Weeks Introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Agriculture 



and ordered to be printed 



- ^ ^'" Stipulation or agreement shall be made 



To enable any state to cooperate with any With any state which has not provided 



other state or states, or with the United by law for a system of forest-fire orotec 



States, for the protection of the water- i\on: Provided further, That in no case 

 sheds of navigable streams, and to appoint u n fl -i I'di- ni nu cdt>e 



a commission for the acquisition of lands ""^"^^^ '^'^6. amount expended in any state 



for the purpose of conserving the naviga- exceed in any fiscal year the amount 



bility of navigable rivers. appropriated by that State for the same 



Be it enacted hy the Senate and P^JP^^e during the same fiscal year. 

 House of Representatives of the United rl^^' 3- ^hat the Secretary of Agri- 

 States of America in Congress ossein- ^"^^"^e, tor the further protection of 

 bled, That the consent of the Congress *"^ watersheds of said navigable 

 of the United States is hereby given streams, may, m his discretion, and he 

 to each of the several states of the ^^ hereby authorized, on such conditions 

 Union to enter into any agreement or ^^ ^^^ ^^^ms wise, to stipulate and agree 

 compact, not in conflict with any law *^° administer and protect for a definite 

 of the United States, with any other '^"'''' o^ years any private forest lands 

 state or states for the purpose of con- situated up®n any such watershed 

 serving the forests and the water sup- whereon lands may be permanently re- 

 ply of the states entering into such served, held, and administered as Na- 

 agreement or compact. tional Forest lands ; but such stipulation 



Sec. 2. That the sum of $200,000 or agreement shall provide that the 



is hereby appropriated and made avail- owner of such private lands shall cut 



able until expended, out of any moneys and remove the timber thereon only 



in the National Treasury not otherwnse tinder such rules and regulations, to be 



appropriated, to enable the Secretary expressed in the stipulation or agree- 



of Agriculture to cooperate with any ment, as will provide for the protection 



state or group of states, when requested of the forest in the aid of navigation: 



to do so, in the protection from fire Provided, That in no case shall the 



of the forested watersheds of navigable United States be liable for any damage 



streams ; and the Secretary of Agricul- resulting from fire or any other cause 

 ture is hereby authorized, and on such Sec. 4. That there is hereby appropri- 



conditions as he deems wise, to stipulate ated, for the fiscal year ending June 



and agree with any state or group of 30» 1910, the sum of $1,000,000, and 



states to cooperate in the organization for each fiscal year thereafter a sum 



and nYaintenance of a system of fire not to exceed $2,000,000 for use in the 



protection on any private or state forest examination, survey, and acquirement 



lands within such state or states and of lands located on the headwaters of 



situated upon the watershed of a navi- navigable streams or those which are 



gable river: Provided, That no such being or which may be cfeveloped for 

 42 



