4 Department Circular 313, U. S. Dept. of Agriculture. \ 



sometime be discovered. If reservations are made, it will be neces- 

 sary for a bond to be o'iven to protect the interest of the Govern- 

 ment before prospecting and minino- can begin. As a rule, mineral 

 reservations will be limited, subject to extension if active and con- 

 tinuous development of the mineral resources is in progress. 



Lands may also be acquired subject to mineral rights outstanding 

 in third parties if the terms of the easement are not objectionable. 



ONLY REASONABLY PRICED LANDS CONSIDERED. 



Lands offered at exorbitant prices will not be considered. The 

 holding of land at excessive prices in any of the purchase units will 

 prevent the (xovernment from inidertaking purchases within them. 

 Burned and brush lands are considered for purchase only at a rela- 

 tively low price, as it may require a long period of protection or even 

 the necessity of planting before it will be possible to reestablish a 

 forest and secure returns from the property. As the (xovernment 

 does not acquire the full use of the land, if the timber is reserved or 

 if the timber rights are outstanding in third parties, until the timber 

 is completely removed, and furthermore, as the Government affords 

 protection from fire to sucli timber, lands subject to timber rights are 

 considered for purchase only at substantially lower prices than lands 

 which immediately come into full possession of the United States. 



NO RESTRICTION AS TO SIZE OF TRACT. 



Proposals will be received for small as well as for large tracts 

 within the areas designated, but small tracts will be examined only 

 if they adjoin or are near lands owned by the Goveinment, or if the 

 aggregate of all tracts offered for sale is sufficient to justify an ex- 

 amination. 



HORIZONTAL SURVEY. 



Lands will be purchased only on the basis of an accurate survey 

 by horizontal measurement and at a specified rate per acre. A pro- 

 posal on the basis of a lum})-sum price for the tract can not be con- 

 sidered. 



NOT NECESSARY TO SELL THROUGH AN AGENT. 



The right of any landowner to deal through an agent is, of course^ 

 recognized. The placing of lands in agents' hands, however, is 

 unnecessary, as usually agents can give no practical assistance, 

 and the Secretary of Agriculture, in making purchases, desires to 

 deal di>'ectly with owners wherever practicable, regardless of the size 

 of the tract. Optioned larnh irill not he eonHidcred. 



PROCEDURE IN MAKING PURCHASES. 



In general the procedure in making purchases will be as follows: 



(1) The filing of proposal for sale of land by the owner or owners. 



(2) Examination and appraisal by the Forest Service. This ex- 

 amination will usually include a careful survey of whatever timber 

 is standing upon the tract, an appraisal of the value of the tract as 

 a whole, and the determination of its importance in regulating the 

 flow of navigable streams. 



(3) Negotiations with the owner. "When an agreement as to price 

 and other conditions of sale is reached, the owner will be asked to 



