REPORT OF THE SOLICITOR. 



397 



act. In response to requests from two different sources, a special 

 bill was prepared for one State. At the recjuest of the fjovernors of 

 three of the States, prochimations were prepared for their use in 

 accepting the provisions of the act, pending action by the legislatures 

 of their States. Statutes passed by 13 of the States accepting the 

 provisious of the act were reviewed and opinions expressed as to their 

 sufficiency. Replies to a number of letters of in(|uiry regarding the 

 law were drafted for your signature. 



THE WEEKS FORESTRY LAW (36 Stat. 961). 



Although durine: more than half of the year the number of title 

 attorneys engaged upon the exannnation of titles to lands proposed 

 to be acquired under the Weeks forestry law was smaller than in the 

 preceding fiscal year, the number of titles examined and the acreage 

 ac(|uired were not substantially less than in the preceding year. 



The National Forest Reservation Commission, in addition to estab- 

 lishing new purchase areas in Lawrence and Winston Counties, Ala., 

 and in Coos County, N. H., authorized the purchase of 175,463 

 acres of land. The work incident to obtaining copies of grants affect- 

 ing lands to be acquired in the new purchase areas from Federal and 

 State records was completed during the year. The department 

 requested the Attorney General to institute condemnation proceed- 

 ings for the acquirement of 48,329 acres in the States of New Hamp- 

 shire, North Carolina, and Georgia. 



The follow^ing is a summary, in terms of acres, of operations under 

 the Weeks law from the beginning to June 30, 1917 : 



state and area. 



Alabama: Alabama 



Georgia: 



Georgia 



Savannah (S ) 



Maine: White Mountain . . 



New Hampshire: 



Kilkenny 



Wliite Mountain 



North Carolina: 



Boone 



Mount Mitchell 



Nantahala 



Pisgah 



Savannah (N) 



South Carolina: Savannah (S). 

 Tennessee: 



Cherokee 



Smoky Mountain 



White Top 



Unaka 



Virginia: 



Massanutten 



Natural Bridge 



Potomac 



Shenandoah 



West Virginia: 



Monongahela 



Potomac 



Shenandoah 



Purchases 

 authorized 

 (esti- 

 mated). 



A cres. 

 22, 112 



62,904 

 47, 731 

 27,733 



36,290 

 312,614 



42,494 

 85,972 

 40, 252 

 94, 588 

 41, 196 

 26,253 



141,937 



117,113 



6S, 039 



49,949 



67, 761 



95, 800 



62, 454 



125,547 



54, 464 

 17,075 



Purchases 



completed 



(actual 



survey). 



Acres. 



20, 881. 42 

 17, 256. 27 



45,951.53 



311.97 



19, 492. 64 



1,670.38 



4, 105. 94 



14, 536. 68 



3, 878. 76 



8,549.44 



12, 977. 89 

 11,497.01 



14,66.5.13 



37, 293. 92 



2, 157. 37 



1,933.54 



20,896.72 

 2, 166. 29 



Reports in Department 

 of Justice. 



For 



opinion 



(actual 



survey). 



A cres. 

 1,601.10 



413. 32 



579. 79 



395. 64 



231.29 



14, 819. 63 



5,986.65 



338. 68 

 44.02 



2, 071. 86 

 343. 51 



656. 72 



1, 100. 17 



871.81 



For con- 

 demnation 

 (actual 

 survey). 



A cres. 



7, 079. 36 

 8, 366. 93 



33, 299. 40 



39,061.41 



5,842.07 

 850. 06 



2.310.68 

 14, 1S9. 83 



2, 978. 33 



10, 389. 56 

 26, 785. 48 



13,905.89 



1, 644. 58 



10, a'^O. 86 



17, 985. 93 



478.25 



