THE USE BOOK. 41 



FOREST HOMESTEAD ACT. 



The .act of June 11, 1906 (Appendix, p. 241), 

 authorizes the Secretary of Agriculture, in his discre- 

 tion, to examine or ascertain, upon application or other- 

 wise, what lands, both surveyed and unsurveyed, in 

 Xational Forests are chiefly valuable for agriculture 

 and may be occupied for agricultural purposes without 

 injury to the National Forests, if not needed for 

 public purposes. The act authorizes the Secretary of 

 Agriculture to file lists of such lands with the Secretary 

 of the Interior, who will then declare the lands open 

 to entry under the homestead law. 



The act does not apply to certain counties in south- 

 ern California. In parts of certain counties in South 

 Dakota only land which was settled upon before Janu- 

 ary 1, 1900, can be opened under the act. 



All applications for the listing of lands under the 

 act of June 11, 1900, must be signed by the person who 

 desires to make entry, and must be mailed to the For- 

 ester, Washington, 1). C. 



The person upon whose application the land is listed 

 has the preference right of entry, unless there was ^ 

 settler on the land prior to January 'l, 1906, in which 

 event the settler has the preference right. 

 ^Persons having preference rights under the act may 

 file their entries j at any time within sixty days after 

 -ttTeTTITng of the list in the local land office. If they 

 do not make entry within that time, the land will be 

 suTyject to entry by the first qualified person to make 

 application at the local land office. 



