Proclamation 2998—Enlarging the Hovenweep National Monument, Colorado and Utah

Whereas Proclamation No. 1654 of March 2, 1923, established the Hovenweep National Monument on certain public lands in southwestern Colorado and southeastern Utah for the purpose of preserving four groups of ruins, including structures of the finest prehistoric masonry found in the United States, and Proclamation No. 2924 of April 26, 1951, added to the monument certain other public lands in southwestern Colorado containing other significant ruins; and

Whereas other public lands, contiguous to a portion of the lands now comprising the said monument, have been found to contain very important archeological sites, including small pueblos and an exceptional and significant great kiva (a large circular semi-subterranean ceremonial room), the inside and overall diameters of which are approximately 60 and 100 feet, respectively, which kiva has never been excavated by archeologists or vandalized by unauthorized digging; and

Whereas it appears that it would be in the public interest to reserve the lands embracing such archeological sites as a part of the said monument:

Now, Therefore, I, Harry S. Truman, President of the United States of America, under and by virtue of the authority vested in me by section 2 of the act of June 8, 1906, 34 Stat. 225 (16 U.S.C. 431), do hereby proclaim that, subject to valid existing rights and the provisions of existing withdrawals, the following-described lands in Colorado are hereby added to and reserved as a are hereby added to and reserved as a part of the Hovenweep National Monument:

NEW MEXICO PRINCIPAL MERIDIAN

T. 36 N., R. 17 W.,

sec. 4, lot 3, SE¼ NW¼, and E½ SW¼ NW¼.

The area described contains 81.02 acres, more or less.

Warning is hereby expressly given to all unauthorized persons not to appropriate, injure, destroy, or remove any features of this monument and not to locate or settle upon any of the lands thereof.

The Director of the National Park Service, under the direction of the Secretary of the Interior, shall have the supervision, management, and control of the lands hereby added to this monument as provided in the act of Congress entitled "An Act to establish a National park Service, and for other purposes", approved August 25, 1916, 239 Stat. 535 (16 U.S.C. 1-3), and acts supplementary thereto or amendatory thereof.

In Witness Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the Seal of the United States of America to be affixed.

Done at the City of Washington this 20th day of November in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred and fifty-two and of the Independence of the United States of America the one hundred and seventy-seventh.

HARRY S. TRUMAN

By the President:

DAVID BRUCE,

Acting Secretary of State.