GENERAL ADMINISTRATION AND PROTECTION. 47 



careful consideration of the convenience of the users, and of the suitability of 

 the proposed boundary from the point of view of, economy in and efficiency of, 

 administration. 



STATE SCHOOL LANDS EXCHANGE. 



In furtherance of the indemnity rights of the several States under the pro- 

 visions of section 2275 of the Revised Statutes of the United States, as modified 

 by the act of February 2-S. 1S91. cooperative agreements may be. and in several 

 instances have been, entered into between the Department of Agriculture and 

 the State, for the exchange of school lauds within the National Forests for 

 solid blocks of land of equal acreage and value along the borders of Forests. 



TOWN SITES. 



Lands in National Forests embraced in valid town-site settlements, made 

 before the withdrawal of the land and creation of the Forests, may, unless 

 abandoned, be entered and patented under the town-site laws, without regard 

 to the period which has elapsed after their settlement or after the establishment 

 of the Forest, and without the necessity of eliminating the town-site area from 

 the Forest. 



When it is desired to establish a town site on lands within a National Forest, 

 a petition should be addressed to the District Forester. An investigation will 

 be made under his direction to ascertain if it is necessary and advisable to use 

 such lands for town-site purposes. If approved an Executive order to exclude 

 the lands may be issued to enable the applicants to proceed under the town-site 

 laws and the regulations of the Department of the Interior. 



PROCEDURE. 



SUPERVISORS PROCEDURE. 

 Examinations. 



The examination of Forest boundaries will be undertaken by direction of the 

 District Forester under the instruction of the supervisor in charge of the Forest 

 concerned or, in the case of a new area, under the supervisor of the nearest 

 Forest. 



Extent of Examinations. 



The examinations should not be confined strictly to the area described in 

 letters of instruction, but must embrace all lands in the locality which are 

 suited to National Forest purposes. The examiner will be held responsible 

 for covering thoroughly all lands in the section to which he is assigned. 



Data Necessary. 



Before beginning field work the examiner should be in possession of suffi- 

 ciently detailed geographic and alienated land data to enable him definitely to 

 locate proposed boundaries and to determine in the field the title of the land. 



Field Work and Survey. 



The accuracy of the survey that will be necessary will depend upon the 

 value of the land involved. If scattered additions are contemplated in heavily 

 timbered country it may be necessary to locate and cruise each forty: on the 

 other hand, if it is simply a question of the addition or elimination of a strip 

 of land whose general character is known a much less detailed survey will 

 ordinarily be sufficient. In every case, however, it is essential that the ex- 

 aminer know exactly where he is at all times in relation to the corners and 

 lines of the public land survey. To be sure of this, work with the compass 

 may be necessary. 



Photographs. 



When it is feasible, photographs should accompany a report to illustrate 

 not only the general characteristics of the country,' but important specific 

 points as well. Special effort should be made to secure photographs if the 

 value of the area for forest or watershed protection purposes is at all doubt- 

 ful or if the elimination of an area has been requested by petitions. 



Maps. 



A map which shows land classification and a title, or status map, showing 

 alienated lands, should be submitted with each report. 



