100 



In view of the recent opinion of the Solicitor regarding the status of lands listed 

 under the Act of June 11, it may be necessary to employ a special indorsement for 

 entries of land listed under that Act, and if such change is determined upon, the 

 District Forester will be immediately informed. 

 Revised Claims Cooperative Agreement 



To THE COMMISSIONER, CHIEF OF FIELD SERVICE, CHIEFS OF FIELD DIVISION, 

 REGISTERS AND RECEIVERS, GENERAL LAND OFFICE, DEPARTMENT OF THE 

 INTERIOR; THE FORESTER, DISTRICT FORESTERS, FOREST SUPERVISORS, FOREST 

 SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE; THE SOLICITOR AND DISTRICT ASSISTANTS 

 TO THE SOLICITOR, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



GENTLEMEN: To better effectuate cooperation in protecting the interests of the 

 Government and settlers and other claimants to lands -within National Forests, the 

 following order is effective, superseding order of June 25, 1910: 



1. Forest supervisors will submit all reports made by Forest Officers to the proper 

 District Forester, who will make a careful examination of them. 



If the District Forester is of the opinion that no contest should be instituted he will 

 transmit the report directly to the proper Chief of Field Division with an indorse- 

 ment of "No protest," except that in the case of claims under the mining laws which 

 have not been examined for mineral discovery, the notice of "No protest" will be by 

 letter from the District Forester to the Chief of Field Division, instead of by the 

 transmittal of an indorsed report. Should the Chief of Field Division desire further 

 information he will return the report directly to the District Forester, requesting 

 such additional investigation as may be necessary; or, if he deems it advisable, he 

 will cause an Agent of the General Land Office to make such additional investigation. 

 If the Chief of Field Division is of opinion that no hearing is necessary, he will trans- 

 mit the report, 01* the letter of "No protest," to the Commissioner of the General Land 

 Office with his recommendations. 



If the District Forester is of opinion that a contest should be instituted he will refer 

 the report to the District Assistant to the Solicitor for examination as to the suffi- 

 ciency of law and evidence, and if found to be sufficient he will return it to the District 

 Forester with a draft of the charges against the claim to be recommended to the Chief 

 of Field Division. If the District Assistant to the Solicitor is of opinion that addi- 

 tional evidence is necessary, he will call this to the attention of the District Forester, 

 who will order such additional investigation as may be required and will resubmit 

 the report with the additional evidence to the District Assistant to the Solicitor, 

 who, if then satisfied that a contest should be instituted, will pursue the course 

 outlined above. When the final report, with the draft of charges to be recommended 

 to the Chief of Field Division, is returned to the District Forester by the District 

 Assistant to the Solicitor, the District Forester will transmit it directly to the Chief 

 of Field Division with a recommendation that a contest be instituted upon the 

 charges indicated. If the District Assistant to the Solicitor, after full review of the 

 final report, is of opinion that a contest should not be instituted, he will so advise the 

 District Forester, and if the latter is still of opinion that a contest should be instituted, 

 the papers in the case will be referred to the Forester for consultation with the Solicitor 



