HISTORY 25 



ing to be non-mineral, declare them invalid, thus preventing the 

 "holding o{ lands within a park on the pretext that they are 

 mineral-bearing. 



By act approved June 2, 1920 (41 Stat. L., 731), Congress 

 accepted the cession by the State of California of exclusive 

 jurisdiction of the territory within Yosemite, Sequoia, and 

 General Grant Parks. The state act was passed April 15, 

 191 9. This was an important step toward complete national 

 jurisdiction in all the national parks, which consummation will 

 alone create a satisfactory situation throughout the park sys- 

 tem with regard to the enforcement of the regulations. In the 

 parks over which the laws of the state in which they are lo- 

 cated obtain, great difficulties in administration are at times 

 encountered, owing to the fact that the department has no 

 jurisdiction to punish offenses in violation of the regulations 

 relating thereto, and particularly in the matter of preventing 

 depredations on the game. Exclusive national jurisdiction 

 now exists in nine parks Yellowstone, Yosemite, Sequoia, 

 General Grant, Piatt, Glacier, Mount Rainier, Crater Lake, 

 and Hot Springs. Penalties for the violation of the laws 

 and regulations have been prescribed for all these parks, and 

 commissioners appointed for the trial of offenders in each 

 one of them except Piatt. 



The period since the creation of the National Park Service 

 is also notable for the assumption by the Department of the 

 Interior of complete control of all activities connected with 

 the park system. This was brought about by the final re- 

 linquishment by the War Department of police duties which 

 it had performed for a considerable period in the California 

 parks and in the Yellowstone, and by the withdrawal of the 

 Corps of Engineers from all connection with park road and 

 trail construction. The last detachment of soldiers to gar- 

 rison Fort Yellowstone was withdrawn from the park on 

 October 31, 19 18, and the Corps of Engineers was relieved of 

 further duty in connection with the road work on July ist of 

 the same year. On July 19th of the following year the en- 



