60 FOREST LANDS FOR THE PROTECTION OF WATERSHEDS. 



COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE, 



HOUSE or REPRESENTATIVES, 



January 28, 1909. 



At an executive session of the committee held on this date a motion 

 prevailed that all after the enacting clause of S. 4825 be stricken out 

 and the following (known as the " Weeks bill ") be substituted: 



AN ACT For acquiring national forests in the Southern Appalachian Mountains and 

 White Mountains. 



Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United 

 States of America in, Congress assembled, That the consent of the Congress of 

 the United States is hereby given to each of the several States of the Union to 

 enter into any agreement or compact, not iu conflict with any law of the United 

 States, with any other State or States, for the purpose of conserving the forests 

 and the water supply of the States entering into such agreement or compact. 



SEC. 2. That the sum of one hundred thousand dollars is hereby appropriated 

 and made available until expended, out of any moneys in the National Treasury 

 not otherwise appropriated, to enable the Secretary of Agriculture to cooperate 

 with any State or group of States, when requested to do so, in the protection 

 from fire of the forested watersheds of navigable streams, and the Secretary 

 of Agriculture is hereby authorized, and on such conditions as he deems wise, 

 to stipulate and agree with any State or group of States to cooperate in the 

 organization and maintenance of a system of fire protection on any private or 

 state forest lands within such State or States and situated upon the watershed 

 of a navigable river : Provided, That no such stipulation or agreement shall 

 be made with any State which has not provided by law for a system of forest- 

 fire protection : Provided further, That in no case shall the amount expended in 

 any State exceed in any fiscal year the amount appropriated by that State for 

 the same purpose during the same fiscal year. 



SEC. 3. That the Secretary of Agriculture, for the further protection of the 

 watersheds of said navigable streams, may, in his discretion, and he is hereby 

 authorized, on such conditions as he deems wise, to stipulate and agree to 

 administer and protect for a definite term of years any private forest lands 

 situated upon any such watershed whereon lands may be permanently reserved, 

 held, and administered as national forest lands; but such stipulation or agree- 

 ment shall provide that the owner of such private lands shall cut and remove 

 the timber thereon only under such rules and regulations, to be expressed in the 

 stipulation or agreement, as will provide for the protection of the forest in the 

 aid of navigation: Provided, That in no case shall the United States be liable 

 for any damage resulting from fire or any other cause. 



SEC. 4. That from the receipts accruing from the sale or disposal of any 

 products or the use of lands or resources from public lands, now or hereafter to 

 be set aside as national forests, that have been or may hereafter be turned into 

 the Treasury of the United States and which are not otherwise appropriated, 

 there is hereby appropriated for the fiscal year ending June thirtieth, nineteen 

 hundred and nine, the sum of one million dollars, and for each fiscal year there- 

 after a sum not to exceed two million dollars for use in the examination, survey, 

 and acquirement of lands located on the headwaters of navigable streams or 

 those which are being or which may be developed for navigable purposes: 

 Provided, That the provisions of this section shall expire by limitation on the 

 thirtieth day of June, nineteen hundred and nineteen. 



SEC. 5. That a commission, to be known as the "National Forest Reservation 

 Commission," consisting of the Secretary of War, the Secretary of the Interior, 

 the Secretary of Agriculture, and one member of the, Senate, to be selected by 

 the President of the Senate, and one member of the House of Representatives, 

 to be selected by the Speaker, is hereby created and authorized to consider and 

 pass upon such lands as may be recommended for purchase as provided in sec- 

 tion six of this act, and to fix the price or prices at which such lands may be 

 purchased, and no purchases shall be made of any lands until such lands have 

 been duly approved for purchase by said commission: Provided, That the mem- 

 bers of the commission herein created shall serve as such only during their in- 

 cumbency in their respective official positions; and any vacancy on the com- 

 mission shall be filled in the manner as the original appointment. 



SEC. 6. That the commission hereby appointed shall, through its president, 

 annually report to Congress, not later than the first Monday in December, the 



