Show Ickes Withdraws Vast Area in Southeast Utah Interior Secretary Bottles Up 3 Acres in III Grand and San Juan Counties ResIdents of southeastern w were ere amazed thIS week t to learn that Harold Ickes sec sec- secretary secretary of the interior had IS- IS ISsued issued sued an order last May wIth wIth- withdraw draw dra ing from entry or mining locatIon ne mIllIon acres of land m in Grand and San Juan countIes countIes- The arbI arbItrary arbitrary and dIctatorial actIon of Ickes has aroused wIde wIde- wIdespread widespread spread 1 resentment through through- throughout throughout out the state and many pro pro- protests protests tests against the order are pouring into Washington The effect of the wIthdrawal wIll be to prohibIt the locatIon of mining claims within the district under the United States mining laws laws- w Mr l Ickes wIthdrawal order ordel apparently attempts t to 1 repeal Homesteading within the area IS also prohIbIted The following press diS dispatch patch from WashIngton un under under der date of Aug 19 gl as the details of Mr 1 Ickes unprecedented unprecedented dented order Because of a SUspICIon that there may be considerable magne magnesium Ium alunite potash and other mInerals hIdden away In extreme e southeastern Utah Utah Harold L Ickes secre- secre secretary secretary tary of the interior m in May 1943 ordered the withdrawal or of nearly 3 acres mostly east of the Colorado Colorado- river so that the surface rIghts within that area may maybe maybe be protected against mIneral or other entry and the lands may hereafter be acqUIred only under the leasIng law Rather only the rIght to ex- ex extract extract tract minerals aral may be ac- ac acqUIred acquired for the tItle to the lands remains permanently w Ith the got gO Then Thel e ss as no publIc an announcement announcement of the withdraw withdraw- withdrawal al at the time It Ita a was made on Ma May 26 and for two months the record was sIlent save as information tIon w ent to the tha local office at Silt Lake CIty Now It comes to fight that mot most of the land eying south of Thompsons the seat of current magnesIUm actIvIty down 1 is far as the vicinity of Blanding roughly 60 mIles east and andest west est his been w ith- ith from all dH form of entry partIcularly under the m ning laws vs and may only he e explored ed or doped de under unde the terms of the leasing act It IS not possIble to obtain from officIal sources the ex- ex exact exact act reasons WhICh prompted thIS large w but It ItIS itis IS a fact that for se sew eral years Secretary Ickes has been urging congress to re- re repeal repeal peal the eXIstIng mInIng laws and to require that all min mm- mining mg ing for the future be per per- permItted permitted only under the leasing act the gos gO to retain let tItle to the lands and deter deter- determine mme mine by permIt who shall and who shall not he pel permit permit- permitted ted to explore for i i Congress has steadfastly refused to follow thI this recommendatIon recommendation but tire the al order affectIng pearly dearly 3 3 acres accomplishes so far as thIs Utah land IS concerned Just what hat Ickes Icke could do were the mining laws repealed His lIS order of with with- withdrawal protects the surface of this thle entIre area save e as to owned or lands cOvered b by salad abd filings made prIor to the te dite of the order of WIthdrawal Admittedly a few applications bons for pr permits have been filed none have hae been approved At this thIC status Continued on last page ICKES WITH S Continued from page one the IdentIty of applIcants IS not ed hut but it is said they are not numerous As to ho how many ph piker r or other mineral claims may h hive we been filed Washington has not the slightest information The official of I lands withdrawn 1 is given lS as follows follow Silt Lake merIdian To Townships 21 to 24 south range 15 east 21 to 26 s r 16 e 21 to 32 s r 17 e 21 to 32 s 1 18 e tp 21 to 32 s r 19 e 21 to 32 s r 20 e 21 to 32 s r 21 e 22 to 32 s r 22 e 22 to 37 s r 23 e 23 and 24 s r 24 e 29 to 38 s r 24 e 23 and 24 s r 25 e 29 to 38 St s 1 25 e 23 and 24 S r 26 e 29 to 38 s sr r 26 e |