CLAIMS AND RIGHTS. 21 



REG. 2. The Forest Service will endeavor to protect 

 valid claims within forest reserves and make the reserves 

 contribute to their development, but forest reserve officers 

 are required to report illegal holdings. 



REG. 3. The Forest Service will grant preference in 

 the use of privileges to actual residents in or near forest 

 reserves. 



REG. 4. The supervisor may, within six months from 

 the cancellation or abandonment of any claim to land in 

 a forest reserve, permit the claimant to remove his im- 

 provements from the claim, if the supervisor believes that 

 such removal will not injure forest reserve interests. 



A person who has made selection of other land in 

 lieu of the land formerly claimed by him may not 

 be allowed to remove his improvements if they are 

 necessary for the use of the Forest Service. 



Forest officers should endeavor to ascertain the status of all 

 claims which come under their observation when traveling through 

 the reserve, and should make notes of any facts which show the 

 good or bad faith of the claimant. They should make special 

 examinations and reports only: 



(1) When specifically ordered to do so. 



(2) When they believe that the claimant is making an unlaw- 

 ful use of the land claimed by him or is injuring forest reserve 

 interests. 



(3) When they believe that the claimant settled upon lands in 

 the forest reserve after its establishment and without warrant of 

 law. 



(4) When notified by the local land office that a claimant has 

 applied to make proof, in which case they should, during the 

 period of publication if practicable, make report upon the proper 

 form (654 or 655), both to the local land office and to the Forester. 

 If unable to make the report during the period of publication, 

 they must indorse upon the notice from the land office the 

 following: "The Forest Service protests against this claim and 



