Proclamation 536—Diminution of the South Platte Forest Reserve, Colorado

Whereas, The South Platte Forest Reserve, in the State of Colorado, was established by proclamation dated December ninth, eighteen hundred and ninety-two, under and by virtue of 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", 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 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 line of such reserve, or may vacate altogether any order creating such reserve";

Now, Therefore, I, Theodore Roosevelt, President of the United States, by virtue of the power vested in me by the aforesaid act of Congress, approved June fourth, eighteen hundred and ninety-seven, do hereby make known and proclaim that the following described lands in the State of Colorado are hereby released and eliminated from the aforesaid South Platte Forest Reserve, and the aforesaid proclamation dated December ninth, eighteen hundred and ninety-two, establishing said reserve, is hereby vacated to that extent, and no more:

In Township eleven (11) South, Range seventy-three (73) West, Sixth (6th) Principal Meridian, Colorado, the west half of Section eighteen (18), Section nineteen (19), the west half of Section twenty-eight (28), Sections twenty-nine (29), thirty (30), thirty-one (31) and thirty-two (32), and the south half and north-west quarter of Section thirty-three (33);

In Township twelve (12) South, Range seventy-three (73) West, Lots three (3) and four (4) and the south-west quarter of Section three (3), Sections four (4) to nine (9), both inclusive, Sections sixteen (16) to twenty-one (21), both inclusive, the south half of Section twenty-two (22), the west half of Sections twenty-three (23) and twenty-six (26), and Sections twenty-seven (27) to thirty-five (35), both inclusive;

In Township ten (10) South, Range seventy-four (74), West, the west half of Section three (3), the east half of Section four (4), the south-east quarter of Section eight (8), Section nine (9), the west half of Section ten (10), Sections fifteen (15) to twenty-two (22), both inclusive, Sections twenty-seven (27) to thirty-three (33), both inclusive, and the north half and south-west quarter of Section thirty-four (34);

In Township twelve (12) South, Range seventy-four (74) West, Section thirteen (13), the east half of Sections fourteen (14) and twenty-three (23), Section twenty-four (24), the north half of Section twenty-five (25), and the north-east quarter of Section twenty-six (26).

And Whereas, the public lands in the State of Colorado, 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, I hereby further make known and proclaim, by virtue of the power vested in me by the aforesaid acts of Congress approved March third, eighteen hundred and ninety-one, and June fourth, eighteen hundred and ninety-seven, that the following described public lands are hereby reserved from entry or settlement, and are added to and made a part of the aforesaid South Platte Forest Reserve:

In Township eleven (11) South, Range seventy-four (74) West, Sections one (1) and two (2), the east half of Section three (3), the north-east quarter of Section ten (10), Sections eleven (11) and twelve (12), and the north half of Sections thirteen (13) and fourteen (14).

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.

The lands hereby excluded from the reserve and restored to the public domain shall be open to settlement from the date hereof, but shall not be subject to entry, filing or selection until after ninety days notice by such publication as the Secretary of the Interior may prescribe.

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 6th day of December, in the year of our Lord one thousand nine hundred and four, and of the Independence of the United States the one hundred and twenty-ninth.

THEODORE ROOSEVELT.

By the President:

JOHN HAY,

Secretary of State.