Proclamation 469—Establishing the San Francisco Mountains Forest Reserve

Whereas, The San Francisco Mountains Forest Reserves, in the Territory of Arizona, were established by proclamation dated August 17, 1898, under and by virtue of section twenty-four of the act of Congress, approved March 3, 1891, entitled, "An act to repeal timber-culture laws, and for other purposes," which provides, "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 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," 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, Theodore Roosevelt, President of the United States, by virtue of the power vested in me by the aforesaid acts of Congress, do hereby make known and proclaim that, for the purpose of consolidating into one reserve the lands heretofore embraced in the said San Francisco Mountains Forest Reserves and of including therein the other adjacent lands within the description hereinafter given, there is hereby reserved and set apart as a public forest reservation all the lands embraced within the following described boundaries and lying and being situate in the Territory of Arizona, to wit: Beginning at the north-west corner of township twenty-two north, range one (1) east, Gila and Salt River Meridian, Arizona; thence southerly along the said meridian, allowing for the proper offset on the fifth (5th) Standard Parallel north, to the south-west corner of township nineteen (19) south, range one (1) east; thence easterly along the surveyed and unsurveyed township line to the point for the north-west corner of township eighteen (18) north, range four (4) east; thence southerly along the unsurveyed range line to its intersection with the fourth (4th) Standard Parallel north; thence easterly along said parallel to the point for the north-west corner of township sixteen (16) north, range five (5) east; thence southerly to the point for the south-west corner of said township; thence easterly to the point for the north-west corner of township fifteen (15) north, range six (6) east; thence southerly to the point for the south-west corner of section eighteen (18), said township; thence easterly along the unsurveyed section line to the point for the north-west corner of section nineteen (19), township fifteen (15) north, range seven (7) east; thence southerly to the south-west corner of said section; thence easterly along the unsurveyed section lines to the south-west corner of section nineteen (19), township fifteen (15) north, range nine (9) east; thence northerly to the north-west corner of said section; thence easterly along the section line to the south-east corner of section thirteen (13), said township; thence northerly to the north-east corner of section twelve (12), said township; thence easterly along the section lines to the south-east corner of section one (1), township fifteen (15) north, range eleven (11) east; thence northerly along the range line to its intersection with the fourth (4th) Standard Parallel north; thence. westerly along said parallel to the south-east corner of township seventeen (17) north, range eleven (11) east; thence northerly along the surveyed and unsurveyed range line to the point for the north-east corner of township eighteen (18) north, range eleven (11) east; thence westerly to the south-east corner of township nineteen (19) north, range ten (10) east; thence northerly along the range line to its intersection with the fifth (5th) Standard Parallel north; thence westerly along said parallel to the point for the south-east corner of township twenty-one (21) north, range nine (9) east; thence northerly along the unsurveyed range line, allowing for the proper offset on the sixth (6th) Standard Parallel north, to the point for the north-east corner of township twenty-five (25) north, range nine (9) east; thence westerly along the surveyed and unsurveyed township line to the point for the north-west corner of township twenty-five (25) north, range three (3) east; thence southerly along the surveyed and unsurveyed range line, allowing for the proper offset on the sixth (6th) Standard Parallel north, to the north-east corner of township twenty-two (22) north, range two (2) east; thence westerly along the township line to the north-west corner of township twenty-two (22) north, range one (1) east, to 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.

Provided further , That nothing herein shall give any force or effect to any claim or right to any of the lands heretofore embraced within the said San Francisco Mountains Forest Reserves which would not have been entitled to recognition if said reserves as heretofore established had been continued in force without this consolidation.

The reserve hereby created shall be known as the San Francisco Mountains Forest Reserve.

Warning is hereby expressly given to all persons not to make settlement upon the lands 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 twelfth day of April, A. D. 1902, and of the Independence of the United States the one hundred and twenty-sixth.

THEODORE ROOSEVELT

By the president:

DAVID J. HILL,

Acting Secretary of State.