588 



ANNUAL REPORTS OF DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



IMPORTANT DECISION OF THE SECRETARY OF THE INTERIOR AFFECTING FOREST 



RESERVATIONS. 



In the case of Helen (i. Rankin (47 L. D., 329) it was held that 

 while the act of June 4. 1897, provides that mineral lands in any 

 forest reservation shall continue to be open to location and entry 

 under the mining: laws, yet this does not prevent their withdrawal 

 and reservation from any and all forms of private appropriation for 

 public use. 



WEEKS FORESTRY LAW. 



(36 Stat, 961.) 



As no' additional appropriation was made by Congress for the 

 extension of the work under the Weeks forestry law% work there- 

 under during the year Avas largely confined to purchases authorized 

 by the National Forest Reservation Commission during the preceding 

 year. 



During the year the National Forest Reservation Commission au- 

 thorized the purchase of 230 tracts, aggregating 101,587 acres. These 

 tracts are comparatively small in area and are to be acquired for 

 the purpose of blocking in units heretofore purchased and which are 

 now under forest administration. 



The number of title attorneys engaged in the examination of titles 

 to land acquired under this law is being reduced, and unless further 

 appropriations are made during the coming j^ear it is anticipated 

 that all examinations of titles of lands authorized to be acquired will 

 have been completed by June 30, 1921. 



The following is a summary, in terms of acres, of operations under 

 the Weeks forestry law from the beginning to June 30, 1920 : 



Operations under the Weeks forestry laic from the beginning to June SO, 1920. 



State. 



Alabama. 

 Arkansas . 



Georgia... 



Maine 



New Hampshire. 

 NorthCarolina.. 



Area. 



Alabama 



Arkansas 



Ozark 



Georgia 



Savannah (S) 



White Mountain . . 



do 



Boone 



Mount Mitchell . . . 



Nantahala 



Pisgah 



Savannah (N) 



South Carolina Savannah (S) 



Tennessee Cherokee 



! Smolo- Mountain . 



Virginia. 



West Virginia. 



Total. 



White Top. 



Unaka 



Massanutten... 

 Natural Bridge. 



Potomac 



White Top 



Shenandoah ... 

 Monongahela... 



Potomac 



Shenandoah — 



Purchases 

 authorized 

 (estimated). 



Acres. 



62,966.00 



19,802.84 



16,726.00 



68,479.00 



85,186.00 



32,153.00 



401,02.5.83 

 49,795.00 

 77,475.00 

 73,367.00 

 88,216.00 

 37,933.00 

 18,612.00 



141,435.00 



Reports in Department 

 of Justice. 



Purchases 



completed 



(actual 



sur^'ey). 



47,168.00 

 58,072.00 

 .57, .502. 00 



116, 109. .50 

 41,307.00 

 23,296.00 



149,674.03 

 78,728.00 

 38,360.00 

 13,400.00 



1,796,788.20 



Acres. 

 31,520.55 

 8,28.5.27 

 3,809.13 

 60,2.33.72 

 47,511.29 

 27,8-59.78 



3-55,471.99 

 26,522.32 

 68,869.93 

 3.5,7-52.26 

 80,094.41 

 36,502.91 

 18,4.54.26 



113,723.71 



For 



opinion 



(actual 



survey). 



Acres. 

 7,847.00 

 1,963.00 

 1,376.00 

 335.00 

 604.00 

 1,100.00 



For con- 

 demnation 

 (actual 

 survey). 



Acres. 



7,-557.83 



1,272.77 



430. 70 

 29,335.36 



1,032.00 



47, 112. 63 

 39,944.90 

 50,918.89 

 87,166.74 

 30,635.03 

 20,096.63 

 141,288.90 

 53,335.47 

 31,873.54 

 13,318.45 



27,32.5.-53 



1,477.42 



16,290.96 



16,181.21 



6,071.95 



8,860.65 

 493. 35 



21,858.17 



2,622.36 



3,870.00 



320.00 



1,430,302.71 , .50,835.42 



5,070.36 

 6,401.47 

 1,92.5.54 

 3,604.08 

 307.68 

 193.88 



1,889.94 



126,782.79 



