EEPORT ON THE SUEVEY AND EXAMINATION OF 

 FOREST RESERVES (MARCH), 1898. 



The Senate resolution adopted February 2S, 1898, calling on tlie 

 Secretary of the Interior for a report on the survey of the forest reserves 

 by the Geological Survey, is as follows: 



Resolved, That the Secretary of the Interior be directed to furnish for the use of 

 the Senate all information relating to the surveys of public lauds since June i, 1897, 

 that have been designated as forest reserves under Executive proclamation, together 

 with the amount of land surveyed in each of said reservations under authority of the 

 act of Congreas approved June 4, 1897, entitled "An act making appropriations for 

 sundry civil expenses of the Government for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1898, 

 and for other purposes." 



In response to a similar resolution of date December 15, 1897, a report 

 was made to the Senate on December 22, 1897. This report was, with 

 slight exception, as fall and complete as it is possible to make a report 

 at present, so far as regards surveys and subdivision. The present 

 report is, therefore, in these respects, largely a copy of the former report. 

 As to the examinations of the forests and matters relating thereto, a 

 digest of the reports of the special forestry agents is furnished. Since 

 the former report was submitted, some surveying has been done upon 

 the reserves in southern California, a statement of which has been added. 



The act making provision for the survey of the forest reserves, 

 approved June i, 1897, is in the following words, to wit: 



For the survey of the public lands that have been or may hereafter be designated 

 as forest reserves by Executive proclamation, under section twenty-four of the act 

 of Congress approved March third, eighteen hundred and ninety-one, entitled "An 

 act to repeal timber-culture laws, and for other purposes," and including public 

 lands adjacent thereto, which may be designated for survey by the Secretary of the 

 Interior, one hundred and fifty thousand dollars, to be immediately available : Pro- 

 vided, That to remove any doubt which may exist pertaining to the authority of the 

 President thereunto, the President of the United States is hereby authorized and 

 empowered to revoke, modify, or suspend any and all such Executive orders and 

 proclamations, or any part thereof, from time to time as he shall deem best for the 

 public interests: Provided, That the Executive orders and proclamations dated 

 February twenty-second, eighteen hundred and ninety seven, setting apart and 

 reserving certain lands in the States of "Wyoming, Utah, Montana, Washington, 

 Idaho, and South Dakota as forest reservations, be, and they are hereby, suspended, 

 and the lands embraced therein restored to the public domain the same as though 

 said orders and proclamations had not been issued : Prorided further, That lands 

 embraced in such reservations not otherwise disposed of before March first, eighteen 

 hundred and ninety-eight, shall again become subject to the operations of said 

 orders and proclamations as now existing or hereafter modified by the President. 



The surveys herein provided for shall he made under the supervision of the Direc- 

 tor of the Geological Survey, by such person or persons as may be employed by or 

 under him for that purpose, and shall be executed under instructions issued by the 

 Secretary of the Interior, and if subdivision surveys shall be found to be necessary, 

 they shall be executed under the rectangular system, as now provided by law. The 

 plats and field notes prepared shall be approved and certified to by the Director of 

 the Geological Survey, and two copies of the field notes shall be returned, one for the 

 files in the United States surveyor-general's office of the State in which the reserve 



