| Show FOREST homesteads new ruling in favor of settlers on forest reserve lands Land made er much less expensive special to the washington D C october 3 settlers on national forests under the act of juno june 11 1906 will no longer have to pay for a survey as they have had bad to in the past on lands when the claim goes to patent this relieves ganv settlers under the act commonly known as the forest homestead law from front a burdensome expense relief from tins this burden has been brought about by an agreement between the secretary of the interior and the secretary of agriculture is whereby hereby sun euness cys made by employees of the forest service will be under the supervision of the surveyor general so that they can be accepted by the general land office as final hitherto it has been necessary to make two under the terms of the forest homestead law national forest land cannot be opened to settlement unless the secretary of agriculture has recommended to the secretary of the interior that it bo be listed for settlement and listing is 13 not possible until a L survey ha has been made the secretary of agriculture has no authority to list any land unless an examination has shown that the land is more suitable for agriculture than for forest purposes so when land ind is applied for employees of the department of agriculture are sent to ascertain its character and at the same time make a survey of it by metes and bounds if a survey is necessary this survey however could not be accepted by the land department as a basis of patent because only surveys tinder the supervision of the surveyor general can under the law be accepted as 03 a basis for passing title in consequence under the dure provided for when patent is sought to lands the settler on land within a national forest has had to pay for a second survey this has been felt to be especially hard bard because it has subjected settlers on national forests foresta to an expense Ns which aich settlers on oil surveyed public lands do not have to bear since it merely merell duplicated the work nork of the first survey there seemed no reason reison why this first survey might not answer both for listing the land and for patenting it the survey for listing made bv by foiest officers liaa has always been without expense to the prospective homesteader under the new arrangement ran gement the field expenses of the survey surrey will continue to bo be paid by by the department of agriculture fco so that the tile applicant will merely lie be called on oil to meet the cost of checking up tip and platting the surveys bv bi the surveyor general this will move monc one of the greatest objections to the working of the forest homestead uw the officials of both the department of agriculture and the department of the tile interior are pleased that the way has teen been found through operation cooperation co in the tile surveys s to simplify the proceed ure cut out a duplication of work and le lessen sn cost of settling upon agricultural lands within national forests |
