Proclamation 490—Establishment of the Madison Forest Reserve

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 State of Montana, 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, Theodore Roosevelt, 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 State of Montana, and within the boundaries particularly described as follows, to wit:

Beginning at the point where the western boundary of the Yellowstone National Park intersects the boundary line between the States of Montana and Idaho; thence in a general north-westerly and southwesterly direction along said state boundary line to the point for its intersection with the range line between Ranges one (1) and two (2) East; thence northerly along the unsurveyed range line to the point for the south-east corner of Township thirteen (13) South, Range one (1) East; thence westerly to the south-west corner of said township; thence northerly to the south-east corner of Township twelve (12) South, Range one (1) West; thence westerly along the township line to the south-east corner of Township twelve (12) South, Range six (6) West; thence northerly to the north-east corner of said Township; thence easterly to the point for the north-east corner of Township twelve (12) South, Range five (5) West; thence northerly along the surveyed and unsurveyed range line, allowing for the proper offset on the Second (2nd) Standard Parallel South, to the north-west corner of Township ten (10) South, Range four (4) West; thence easterly to the south-east corner of Section thirty-three (33), Township nine (9) South, Range four (4) West; thence northerly to the north-west corner of Section fifteen (15), said township; thence easterly to the south-east corner of Section twelve (12), said township; thence northerly along the surveyed and unsurveyed range line to the north-west corner of Township seven (7) South, Range three (3) West; thence easterly to the north-east corner of said township; thence southerly to the south-east corner of said township; thence easterly to the north-west corner of Township eight (8) South, Range one (1) West; thence southerly to the south-west corner of said township; thence easterly to the south-east corner of said township; thence southerly along the Principal Meridian to its intersection with the Second (2nd) Standard Parallel South; thence easterly along said surveyed and unsurveyed parallel to the point for its intersection with the western boundary of the Yellowstone National Park; thence southerly along the western boundary of said park to its intersection with the boundary line between the States of Montana and Idaho, 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 lands reserved by this proclamation.

The reservation hereby established shall be known as The Madison Forest Reserve.

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 16th day of August, in the year of our Lord one thousand nine hundred and two, and of the Independence of the United States the one hundred and twenty-seventh.

THEODORE ROOSEVELT

By the President:

ALVEY A. ADEE,

Acting Secretary of State .