U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, 



FOREST SERVICE, 



Washington, D. C. 



The following procedure and instructions are hereby established 

 and issued to take effect February 1, 1912, governing the enforce- 

 ment of the regulations of the Secretary of Agriculture relating to 

 settlement in National Forests. 



HEXRY S. GRAVES, Forester. 

 Approved December 19, 1911. 



JAMES WILSOX, Secretary. 



GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS. 



The act of June 11, 1906 (34 Stat., 233), known as the National 

 Forest homestead act, provides for the acquisition 

 Purposes J by qualified entrymen of agricultural lands within 

 Fwest homestead National Forests. This act is in effect an extension 

 ac t. of the general provisions of the homestead laws to 



agricultural lands within National Forests with the 

 essential difference that the land must be classified by the Secretary 

 of Agriculture as chiefly valuable for agriculture, and that no com- 

 mutation is allowed. 



This act authorizes the Secretary of Agriculture, in his discretion, 

 to examine and ascertain, upon application or other- 

 Authority and W i 5 e ; the location and extent of lands, both surveyed 

 Se^tar^ofAgri- and urn-surveyed, in National Forests or in temporary 

 culture. withdrawals for National Forests, chiefly valuable for 



agriculture, which may be occupied for agricultural 

 purposes without injury to the National Forests or public interests. 

 He is authorized to list and describe such lands by metes and bounds 

 or otherwise, and to file such lists and descriptions with the Secretary 

 of the Interior for opening to entry in accordance with the provisions 

 of the homestead law and the act. 



The act does not apply to National Forest lands in Santa Barbara 



and San Luis Obispo Counties in California, nor to 



fronuife act CP & parts of Lawrence and Pennington Counties in South 



Dakota, except where the land was settled upon or 



occupied prior to January 1, 1906. 



Agricultural lands when listed by the Secretary of Agriculture are 

 opened by the Secretary of the Interior to homestead 



^^"if ,? gr +~ entr J> m tracts not exceeding 160 acres in area, at 

 cultural lands to . ' ,. ~~ -, .1 1 . ,-, V 



entry. a t the expiration or 60 days from the filing or the list 



in the local land office. Notice of the filing of the list 

 is posted in the local land office and is published for a period of not 

 less than four weeks in a local newspaper. 



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