Proclamation 425—Enlarging the Black Hills Forest Reserve in the States of South Dakota and Wyoming

Whereas it is provided by 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," "That the President of the United States may, from time to time, set apart and reserve, in any State or Territory having public land bearing forests, in any part of the public lands wholly or in part covered with timber or undergrowth, whether of commercial value or not, as public reservations, and the President shall, by public proclamation, declare the establishment of such reservations and the limits thereof;"

And whereas it is further provided by the act of Congress, approved June fourth, eighteen hundred and ninety-seven, entitled, "An act making appropriations for sundry civil expenses of the Government for the fiscal year ending June thirtieth, eighteen hundred and ninety-eight, and for other purposes," that "The President is hereby authorized at any time to modify any Executive order that has been or may hereafter be made establishing any forest reserve, and by such modification may reduce the area or change the boundary lines of such reserve, or may vacate altogether any order creating such reserve;"

And whereas, the public lands in the States of South Dakota and Wyoming, within the limits hereinafter described, are in part covered with timber, and it appears that the public good would be promoted by setting apart and reserving said lands as a public reservation;

Now, therefore, I, William McKinley, President of the United States, by virtue of the power in me vested by the aforesaid acts of Congress, do hereby make known and proclaim that the boundary lines of the Forest Reservation in the State of South Dakota, known as "The Black Hills Forest Reserve," created by proclamation of February twenty-second, eighteen hundred and ninety-seven, are hereby so changed and enlarged as to include all those certain tracts, pieces or parcels of land lying and being situate in the States of South Dakota and Wyoming, and within the boundaries particularly described as follows, to wit:

Beginning at the southeast corner of Township five (5) South, Range five (5) East, Black Hills Meridian, South Dakota; thence northerly to the northeast corner of said township; thence easterly to the southeast corner of Section thirty-three (33), Township four (4) South, Range six (6) East; thence northerly to the southeast corner of Section nine (9), said township; thence easterly to the southeast corner of Section twelve (12), said township; thence northerly along the range line to the northeast corner of Section thirteen (13), Township one (1) North, Range six (6) East; thence westerly to the northwest corner of said section; thence northerly to the northeast corner of Section two (2), said township; thence westerly to the northwest corner of said section; thence northerly to the northeast corner of Section twenty- two (22), Township two (2) North, Range six (6) East; thence westerly to the southeast corner of Section seventeen (17), said township; thence northerly to the northeast corner of said section; thence westerly to the northwest corner of said section; thence northerly to the southeast corner of Section thirty (30), Township three (3) North, Range six (6) East; thence easterly to the southeast corner of Section twenty-seven (27), said township; thence northerly to the northeast corner of Section twenty-two (22), said township; thence westerly to the northwest corner of said section; thence northerly to the northeast corner of Section sixteen (16), said township; thence westerly to the northwest corner of said section; thence northerly to the northeast corner of Section eight (8), said township; thence westerly to the northwest corner of said section; thence northerly to the northeast corner of Section nineteen (19), Township four (4) North, Range six (6) East; thence westerly to the northwest corner of said section; thence northerly to the northeast corner of Section twelve (12), Township four (4) North, Range five (5) East; thence westerly to the northwest corner of said section; thence northerly to the northeast corner of Section thirty-five (35), Township five (5) North, Range five (5) East; thence westerly to the northwest corner of said section; thence northerly to the northeast corner of Section twenty-seven (27), said township; thence westerly to the northwest corner of said section; thence northerly to the northeast corner of Section twenty-one (21), said township; thence westerly to the southeast corner of Section thirteen (13), Township five (5) North, Range four (4) East; thence northerly to the northeast corner of said section; thence westerly to the northwest corner of said section; thence northerly to the northeast corner of Section two (2), said township; thence westerly to the northwest corner of Section four (4), said township; thence southerly to the southwest corner of said section; thence westerly to the southeast corner of Section two (2), Township five (5) North, Range three (3) East; thence northerly to the northeast corner of said section; thence westerly to the southeast corner of Section thirty-five (35), Township six (6) North, Range two (2) East; thence northerly to the northeast corner of Section twenty-six (26) said township; thence westerly to the southeast corner of Section twenty-four (24), Township six (6) North, Range one (1) East; thence northerly to the northeast corner of said section; thence westerly along the section line to its intersection with the boundary line between the States of South Dakota and Wyoming; thence southerly along said State boundary line to its intersection with the section line between Sections twenty-eight (28) and thirty-three (33), Township fifty-two (52) North, Range sixty (60) West, Sixth (6th) Principal Meridian, Wyoming; thence westerly to the northwest corner of Section thirty-six (36), Township fifty-two (52) North, Range sixty-one (61) West; thence southerly along the section line to its intersection with the Twelfth (12th) Standard Parallel North; thence easterly along said parallel to its intersection with the boundary line between the States of Wyoming and South Dakota; thence southerly along said State boundary line to its intersection with the section line between Sections eighteen (18) and nineteen (19), Township three (3) South, Range one (1) East, Black Hills Meridian, South Dakota; thence easterly to the northwest corner of Section twenty-two (22), said township, thence southerly to the southwest corner of Section thirty-four (34), said township; thence easterly to the southeast corner of said township; thence southerly to the southwest corner of Section thirty (30), Township four (4) South, Range two (2) East; thence easterly to the southeast corner of Section twenty-seven (27), said township; thence southerly to the southwest corner of Section eleven (11), Township five (5) South, Range two (2) East; thence easterly to the northwest corner of Section eighteen (18), Township five (5) South, Range four (4) East; thence southerly to the southwest corner of said township; thence easterly to the southeast corner of Township five (5) South, Range five (5) East, the place of beginning; excepting and excluding from reservation all those certain tracts, pieces or parcels of land lying and being situate within the boundaries particularly described as follows, to wit:

Beginning at the northeast corner of Section twenty-four (24), Township five (5) North, Range three (3) East, Black Hills Meridian; thence westerly to the northwest corner of Section nineteen (19), said township; thence southerly to the northwest corner of Section thirty-one (31), said township; thence westerly to the northwest corner of Section thirty-six (36), Township five (5) North, Range two (2) East; thence southerly to the southwest corner of Section thirteen (13), Township four (4) North, Range two (2) East; thence easterly to the southeast corner of Section fifteen (15), Township four (4) North, Range three (3) East; thence northerly to the southwest corner of Section two (2), said township; thence easterly to the southeast corner of said section; thence northerly to the northeast corner of said section; thence easterly to the southeast corner of Township five (5) North, Range three (3) East; thence northerly to the northeast corner of Section twenty-four (24), said township, the place of beginning.

Excepting from the force and effect of this proclamation all lands which may have been, prior to the date hereof, embraced in any legal entry or covered by any lawful filing duly of record in the proper United States Land Office, or upon which any valid settlement has been made pursuant to law, and the statutory period within which to make entry or filing of record has not expired; and all mining claims duly located and held according to the laws of the United States and rules and regulations not in conflict therewith; Provided, That this exception shall not continue to apply to any particular tract of land unless the entryman, settler, or claimant continues to comply with the law under which the entry, filing, settlement, or location was made.

Warning is hereby expressly given to all persons not to enter or make settlement upon the tract of land reserved by this proclamation.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal of the United States to be affixed.

Done at the city of Washington, this 19th day of September, in the year of our Lord, one thousand eight hundred and ninety-eight, and of the Independence of the United States the one hundred and twenty-third.

WILLIAM MCKINLEY

By the President:

ALVEY A. ADEE,

Acting Secretary of State.