Proclamation 440—Enlarging the Prescott Forest Reserve in the Territory of Arizona

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 Territory of Arizona, 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 Territory of Arizona, known as "The Prescott Forest Reserve," created by proclamation of May tenth, eighteen hundred and ninety-eight, are hereby so changed and enlarged as to include all those certain tracts, pieces, or parcels of land lying and being situate in the Territory of Arizona, and within the boundaries particularly described as follows, to wit:

Beginning at the northeast corner of township thirteen (13) north, range one (1) west, Gila and Salt River Meridian, Arizona; thence southerly along the Gila and Salt River Meridian to the southeast corner of said township; thence easterly along the Third (3d) Standard Parallel north to the northeast corner of township twelve (12) north, range one (1) east; thence southerly along the range line to the southeast corner of township nine (9) north, range one (1) east; thence westerly along the township line to the southwest corner of township nine (9) north, range one (1) west; thence northerly along the range line to the northwest corner of said township; thence westerly along the township line to the southwest corner of township ten (10) north, range two (2) west; thence northerly along the range line to the southeast corner of township twelve (12) north, range three (3) west; thence westerly along the township line to the southwest corner of said township; thence northerly along the range line to the northwest corner of said township; thence westerly along the township line to the southwest corner of section thirty-five (35), township thirteen (13) north, range four (4) west; thence northerly along the section line to a point due west of the northwest corner of township fourteen (14) north, range three (3) west; thence easterly to the northeast corner of said township; thence southerly along the range line to the northwest corner of section nineteen (19), township thirteen (13) north, range two west; thence easterly to the northeast corner of section twenty-four (24), said township; thence northerly to the northwest corner of township thirteen (13) north, range one (1)west; thence easterly to the northeast corner of 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; 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, or settlement was made.

Warning is hereby expressly given to all persons not to 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 21st day of October, A.D. 1899, and of the Independence of the United States the one hundred and twenty-fourth.

WILLIAM MCKINLEY

By the President:

JOHN HAY,

Secretary of State.