Proclamation 432—Setting Apart as a Public Reservation Certain Public Lands in the Territory of New Mexico

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, the public lands in the Territory of New Mexico, 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 section twenty-four of the aforesaid act of Congress, do hereby make known and proclaim that there is hereby reserved from entry or settlement and set apart as a Public Reservation all those certain tracts, pieces or parcels of land lying and being situate in the Territory of New Mexico and within the boundaries particularly described as follows, to-wit:

Beginning at a point on the boundary line between New Mexico and Arizona where it is intersected by the north line of Township five (5) South, Range twenty-one (21) West, New Mexico Principal Meridian, New Mexico; thence easterly along the township line to the northeast corner of Township five (5) South, Range sixteen (16) West; thence southerly along the range line between Ranges fifteen (15) and sixteen (16) West, to the southeast corner of Township eight (8) South, Range sixteen (16) West; thence easterly along the township line to the northeast corner of Township nine (9) South, Range fifteen (15) West; thence southerly along the range line to the southeast corner of said township; thence easterly along the township line to the northeast corner of Township ten (10) South, Range ten (10) West; thence southerly along the First Guide Meridian West, between Ranges nine (9) and ten (10) West, to its intersection with the Third (3rd) Standard Parallel South, between Townships fifteen (15) and sixteen (16) South; thence westerly along the said Third (3rd) Standard Parallel South to the southwest corner of Township fifteen (15) South, Range sixteen (16) West; thence northerly along the range line to the northwest corner of said township; thence westerly along the township line to the northeast corner of Township fifteen (15) South, Range nineteen (19) West; thence southerly along the range line to its intersection with the Third (3rd) Standard Parallel South; thence westerly along the Third (3rd) Standard Parallel South to its intersection with the boundary line between New Mexico and Arizona; thence northerly along said boundary line to the point where it intersects the north line of Township five (5) South, Range twenty-one (21) 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.

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 second day of March, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and ninety-nine, and of the Independence of the United States the one hundred and twenty-third.

WILLIAM MCKINLEY

By the President:

JOHN HAY,

Secretary of State.