Proclamation 3379—Establishing the St. Francis National Forest and Enlarging the Ozark and Nebraska National Forests, Arkansas and Nebraska

Whereas certain lands in the States of Arkansas and Nebraska have been acquired by the United States under the authority of the National Industrial Recovery Act, approved June 16, 1933 (48 Stat. 202), the Emergency Relief Appropriation Act of 1935, approved April 8, 1935 (49 Stat. 118), or Title III of the Bankhead-Jones Farm Tenant Act, approved July 22, 1937 (50 Stat. 525), as amended (7 U.S.C. 1010-1012), or have been withdrawn for the use of the Department of Agriculture, in connection with the Marianna-Helena, Northwest Arkansas, and Pine Ridge Land Utilization Projects; and

Whereas by reason of the transfer effected by Executive Order No. 7908 of June 9, 1938, as amended by Executive Order No. 8531 of August 31, 1940, such projects are now being administered pursuant to Title III of the Bankhead-Jones Farm Tenant Act; and

Whereas it appears that such lands are suitable for national-forest purposes and that it would be in the public interest to reserve a portion of them as the St. Francis National Forest and portions of them as parts of the Ozark and Nebraska National Forests; and

Whereas it appears desirable to include within the exterior boundaries of such national forests certain State and privately-owned lands which are so intermingled with the lands owned by the United States that segregation thereof is impracticable; and

Whereas some of such lands owned by the United States are under lease to Soil Conservation Districts or to individuals, and it is desirable that such leases remain in force and effect until terminated as provided therein:

Now, Therefore, I, Dwight D. Eisenhower, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by section 24 of the act of March 3, 1891, 26 Stat. 1103, as amended (16 U.S.C. 471), and the act of June 4, 1897, 30 Stat. 34, 38 (18 U.S.C. 473), and upon recommendation of the Secretary of Agriculture, do proclaim as follows:

(1) There is hereby established the St. Francis National Forest, in Arkansas, and the lands hereinafter described under the heading "St. Francis National Forest—Arkansas" are hereby included within the exterior boundaries of that forest.

(2) The exterior boundaries of the Ozark National Forest, in Arkansas, and the Nebraska National Forest, in Nebraska, are hereby extended to include the lands hereinafter described under the headings "Lands Included Within the Ozark National Forest—Arkansas" and "Lands Included Within the Nebraska National Forest—Nebraska," respectively.

(3) Subject to the aforementioned leases and other valid rights, all lands owned by the United States which are included within the exterior boundaries of the aforementioned national forests by this proclamation and which are being administered as parts of the aforementioned land-utilization projects are hereby reserved as the St. Francis National Forest and as parts of the Ozark National Forest and the Nebraska National Forest, respectively; and all such lands shall hereafter be subject to the laws, rules, and regulations applicable to national forests.

In Witness Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the Seal of the United States of America to be affixed.

DONE at the City of Washington this eighth day of November in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred and sixty, and of the Independence of the United States of America the one hundred and eighty-fifth.

DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER

By the President:

DOUGLAS DILLON,

Acting Secretary of State.