Proclamation 537—Modification of the Boundries of the Big Horn Forest Reserve, Wyoming

Whereas, The Big Horn Forest Reserve, in the State of Wyoming, was established by proclamation dated February twenty-second, eighteen hundred and ninety-seven, 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 lines of such reserve, or may vacate altogether any order creating such reserve"; under which provision, the boundary lines of the said forest reserves were changed and enlarged by proclamations dated June twenty-ninth, nineteen hundred, and May twenty-second, nineteen hundred and two;

And Whereas, it appears that the public good would be promoted by releasing and excluding certain lands from the said forest reserve, and by including therein certain additional lands which are in part covered with timber;

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 boundary lines of the aforesaid Big Horn Forest Reserve are hereby further modified so as to read as follows:

Beginning at the north-west corner of Section seventeen (17), Township fifty-eight (58) North, Range eighty-nine (89) West, Sixth (6th) Principal Meridian, Wyoming; thence southerly to the south-west corner of Section twenty (20), said township; thence easterly to the southeast corner of said section; thence southerly to the point for the northwest corner of Section thirty-three (33), said township; thence easterly to the south-west corner of Section twenty-seven (27), said township; thence southerly to the point for the south-east corner of Section thirty-three (33), said township; thence easterly to the point for the north-east corner of Section four (4), Township fifty-seven (57) North, Range eighty-nine (89) West; thence southerly to the point for the south-east corner of said section; thence easterly to the point for the north-east corner of Section twelve (12), said township; thence southerly to the point for the south-east corner of said section; thence easterly to the point for the north-east corner of Section seventeen (17), Township fifty-seven (57) North, Range eighty-eight (88) West; thence southerly to the point for the south-east corner of said section; thence easterly to the point for the north-east corner of Section twenty-four (24), said township; thence southerly to the north-west corner of Section thirty (30), Township fifty-seven (57) North, Range eighty-seven (87) West; thence easterly to the north-east corner of said section; thence southerly to the south-east corner of said section; thence easterly to the north-east corner of Section thirty-two (32), said township; thence southerly to the south-east corner of said section; thence westerly along the Fourteenth (14) Standard Parallel North to the north-east corner of Section six (6), Township fifty-six (56) North, Range eighty-seven (87) West; thence southerly to the south-east corner of said section; thence easterly to the north-east corner of Section ten (10), said township; thence southerly to the northwest corner of Section twenty-six (26), said township; thence easterly to the north-east corner of said section; thence southerly to the southeast corner of Section thirty-five (35), said township; thence easterly to the north-east corner of Section. six (6), Township fifty-five (55) North, Range eighty-six (86) West; thence southerly to the southeast corner of said section; thence easterly to the north-east corner of Section eight (8), said township; thence southerly to the north-west corner of Section twenty-one (21), said township; thence easterly to the north-east corner of said section; thence southerly to the southeast corner of Section twenty-eight (28), said township; thence westerly to the south-west corner of said section; thence northerly to the north-west corner of said section; thence westerly to the south-west corner of Section nineteen (19), said township; thence southerly to the north-west corner of Township fifty-four (54) North, Range eighty-six (86) West; thence easterly to the north-east corner of Section two (2), said township; thence southerly to the south-east corner of Section eleven (11), said township; thence easterly to the north-east corner of Section thirteen (13), said township; thence southerly to the south-east corner of said section; thence easterly to the north-east corner of Section twenty (20), Township fifty-four (54) North, Range eighty-five (85) West; thence southerly to the south-east corner of said section; thence easterly to the north-east corner of Section twenty-eight (28), said township; thence southerly to the south-east corner of said section; thence westerly to the south-west corner of Section thirty (30), said township; thence southerly to the north-west corner of Township fifty-three (53) North, Range eighty-five (85) West;thence easterly to the north-east corner of Section two (2), said township; thence southerly to the south-east corner of Section eleven (11), said township; thence easterly to the north-east corner of Section fourteen (14), Township fifty-three (53) North, Range eighty-four (84)West; thence southerly to the south-east corner of Section thirty-five (35), said township; thence easterly along the Thirteenth (13th) Standard Parallel North to the north-east corner of Section two (2), Township fifty-two (52) North, Range eighty-four (84) West; thence southerly along the section lines to the north-west corner of Section twelve (12), Township fifty-one (51) North, Range eighty-four (84) West; thence easterly to the north-east corner of said section; thence southerly to the north-west corner of Section nineteen (19), Township fifty-one (51) North, Range eighty-three (83) West; thence easterly to the north-east corner of said section; thence southerly to the north-west corner of Section twenty-nine (29), said township; thence easterly to the north-east corner of said section; thence southerly along the section lines, allowing for offsets, to the north-west corner of Section nine (9), Township fifty (50) North, Range eighty-three (83) West; thence easterly to the north-east corner of said section; thence southerly along the section lines to the south-east corner of Section thirty-three (33), Township forty-nine (49) North, Range eighty-three (83) West; thence westerly along the Twelfth (12th) Standard Parallel North to the north-east corner of Township forty-eight (48) North, Range eighty-four (84) West; thence southerly to the south-east corner of Section twenty-four (24), said township; thence westerly to the southwest corner of Section twenty-three (23), said township; thence northerly to the north-west corner of Section fourteen (14), said township; thence westerly to the north-east corner of Section seventeen (17), said township; thence southerly to the south-east corner of Section twenty (20), said township; thence westerly to the south-west corner of said section; thence southerly to the south-east corner of Section thirty-one (31), said township; thence easterly to the north-east corner of Section five (5), Township forty-seven (47) North, Range eighty-four (84) West; thence southerly to the south-east corner of said section; thence easterly to the north-east corner of Section nine (9), said township; thence southerly to the south-east corner of Section twenty-one (21), said township; thence westerly to the south-west corner of Section nineteen (19), said township; thence northerly to the south-east corner of Section thirteen (13), Township forty-seven (47) North, Range eighty-five (85) West; thence westerly to the southwest corner of Section fifteen (15), said township; thence northerly to the north-west corner of Section three (3), said township; thence westerly to the north-east corner of Township forty-seven (47) North Range eighty-seven (87) West; thence southerly to the south-east corner of Section twelve (12), said township; thence westerly to the south-west corner of Section nine (9), said township; thence northerly along the section lines to the north-west corner of Section thirty-three (33), Township forty-eight (48) North, Range eighty-seven (87) West; thence easterly to the north-east corner of said section; thence northerly to the north-west corner of Section twenty-seven (27), said township; thence easterly to the south-west cornet of Section twenty-three (23), said township; thence northerly to the north-west corner of said section; thence easterly to the north-east corner of said section; thence northerly to the north-west corner of Section one (1), said township; thence westerly along the Twelfth (12th) Standard Parallel North to the south-west corner of Section thirty-five (35), Township forty-nine (49) North, Range eighty-seven (87) West; thence northerly to the south-east corner of Section twenty-two (22), said township; thence westerly to the south-west corner of said section; thence northerly to the south-east corner of Section nine (9), said township; thence westerly to the south-west corner of Section seven (7), said township; thence northerly to the south-east corner of Section thirteen (13), Township fifty (50) North, Range eighty-eight (88) West; thence westerly to the south-west corner of Section fifteen (15), said township; thence northerly to the north-west corner of Section three (3), said township; thence westerly to the south-west corner of Section thirty-two (32), Township fifty-one (51) North, Range eighty-eight (88) West; thence northerly along the section lines to the north-west corner of Section five (5), Township fifty-two (52) North, Range eighty-eight (88) West; thence westerly along the Thirteenth (13th) Standard Parallel North to the south-west corner of Township fifty-three (53) North, Range eighty-eight (88) West; thence northerly to the north-west corner of Section thirty-one (31), said township; thence westerly to the point for the south-west corner of Section twenty-five (25), Township fifty-three (53) North, Range eighty-nine (89) West; thence northerly to the point for the south-east corner of Section twenty-three (23), said township; thence westerly to the point for the south-west corner of said section; thence northerly to the point for the north-west corner of said section; thence westerly to the point for the south-west corner of Section sixteen (16), Township fifty-three (53) North, Range ninety (90) West; thence northerly to the point for the south-east corner of Section five (5), said township; thence westerly to the south-east corner of Section six (6), said township; thence northerly to the north-east corner of said section; thence westerly to the north-west corner of said township; thence northerly to the point for the south-east corner of Section twenty-five (25), Township fifty-four (54) North, Range ninety-one (91) West; thence westerly to the south-west corner of Section twenty-six (26), said township; thence northerly to the point for the north-east corner of said section; thence westerly to the south-east corner of Section twenty-one (21), said Township; thence northerly along the surveyed and unsurveyed section lines to the north-east corner of Section twenty-eight (28), Township fifty-five (55) North, Range ninety-one (91) West; thence westerly to the north-west corner of Section thirty (30), said township; thence northerly to the point for the north-east corner of section twenty-four (24), Township fifty-five (55) North, Range ninety-two (92) West; thence westerly to the north-east corner of Section twenty-three (23), said township; thence northerly to the point for the north-east corner of Section fourteen (14), said township; thence westerly to the north-east corner of Section fifteen (15), said township; thence northerly to the point for the north-east corner of Section ten (10), said township; thence westerly to the point for the north-west corner of said section; thence northerly to the point for the north-west corner of Section three (3), said township; thence westerly to the point for the south-west corner of Section thirty-three (33), township fifty-six (56) North, Range ninety-two (92) West; thence northerly to the point for the south-east corner of Section twenty-nine (29), said township; thence westerly to the point for the south-west corner of said section; thence northerly to the point for the north-west corner of said section; thence westerly to the point for the south-west corner of Section nineteen (19), said township; thence northerly to the south-east corner of Section thirteen (13), Township fifty-six (56) North, Range ninety-three (93) West; thence westerly to the south-west corner of said section; thence northerly to the north-west corner of section one (1), said township; thence easterly along the Fourteenth (14th) Standard Parallel North to the point for the south-east corner of Section thirty-one (31), Township fifty-seven (57) North, Range ninety-two (92) West; thence northerly to the point for the north-west corner of Section seventeen (17), said township; thence easterly to the point for the south-west corner of Section ten (10), said township; thence northerly to the point for the north-west corner of Section three (3), said township; thence westerly to the point for the south-west corner of Section thirty-three (33), Township fifty-eight (58) North, Range ninety-two (92) West; thence northerly to the point for the north-west corner Section sixteen (16), said township; thence easterly along the State Line between the States of Wyoming and Montana to the north-west corner of Section seventeen (17), Township fifty-eight (58) North, Range eighty-nine (89) West, 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.

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 23d 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.