36 THE USE BOOK. 



REG. ^The supervisor may, within six months from 

 jjtT^anceiiation or abandonment of any claim to ianfl"in 

 a National Forest, permit the claimant to remove his ^im- 

 provements, if such removal willnot injure National 

 Forest interests. 



EXAMINATION OF CLAIMS. 



jyj Forest __officers should examine and report upon all unpat- 

 frffenfed claims" in National Forests, giving all essential facts 

 ^which show the good or bad faith of the claimant. Adverse 

 reports should be accompanied, whenever practicable, with 

 written statements of witnesses, preferably in the form of 

 affidavits, giving the facts to which they will testify under 

 oath at a hearing on the claim. 



In reporting upon claims, precedence should be given to cases 

 in which the claimant settled unlawfully upon lands withdrawn 

 for National Forest purposes and is making unlawful use of 

 the lands claimed by him or is injuring National Forest 

 interests. 



PROCEDURE ON PROTESTED CLAIMS. 



The General Land Office circular of August 1, 1905 (Appendix, 

 p. 292), requires local land officers to furnish the forestsuper- 

 visprs witn""~a copy of the notice of intention to make fntal 

 proof. When notified by the local land office thaf a claimant 

 has applied to make final proof, the supervisor should examine 

 the claim, "if not already examined, and report upon the proper 

 form (654 or*655). ReporTtfn^lform 654 or 655 should not 

 be sent to the local land office, but the notice from the land 

 office must be returned before the time fixed for taking final 

 proof. If the Forest officer is aware of no objection to the 

 claim his indorsement should be " No protest." If he knows 

 that the claim should not pass to patent and has so reported 

 to the Forester, he should return the notice to the local land 

 office with the notation : " TheFprest^^Service protects against 

 this claimj. complete report sent to the Forester - - day 

 of , 190." If he does not know that the claim is 



