Executive Order 10018—Transferring the Control and Jurisdiction Over Certain Tracts of Land in Puerto Rico From the Secretary of the Interior to the Secretary of Agriculture for Forest Purposes

By virtue of the authority vested in me by the Emergency Relief Appropriation Act of 1935, approved April 8, 1935 (49 Stat. 115), and section 32 of the Bankhead-Jones Farm Tenant Act, approved July 22, 1937 (50 Stat. 525), and as President of the United States, it is ordered that the following-described tracts of land in Puerto Rico, acquired under authority of the said Emergency Relief Appropriation Act of 1935 and Executive Order No. 7057 of May 28, 1935, as amended, which tracts are not primarily suitable for cultivation, be, and they are hereby, subject to valid existing rights transferred from the control and jurisdiction of the Secretary of the Interior to the control and jurisdiction of the Secretary of Agriculture to be administered for forest purposes in accordance with the provisions of Title III of the said Bankhead-Jones Farm Tenant Act:

1. RURAL: Parcel of land located in Wards Sabana and Pitahaya of the Municipality of Luquillo, Puerto Rico, and which forms part of the Puerto Rico Reconstruction Administration's project named "Zalduondo" containing a net area of 354.33 cuerdas, equivalent to one hundred forty (140) hectares, eighty-three (83) ares and sixty-nine centiares, which is equivalent to 348.01 acres, bounded on the North by Parcel number thirty-two (32) of Zalduondo Project, lands of the same Project divided by an asphalt road of the self-same farm, parcels numbers 40, 43, 44, 45, 46 and 47 of the aforesaid Zalduondo Project, and by "La Gabina" farm, formerly owned by the Government of Puerto Rico and now property of the Land Authority of Puerto Rico; on the South by "La Crucita" farm, formerly owned by Sucn Matienzo Roman and at present the property of Mariano Acosta Velarde, also partly by the Pitahaya River which separates lands owned by Rafael Calderon; on the East by lands of Sucn. Marcelino Perez and a nameless brook that divides the lands of Rafael Calderon; and on the West by "La Crucita" farm of Mariano Acosta Velarde, formerly Sucn. Matienzo Roman, by lands of the Caribbean National Forst, formerly of Henry W. Dooley, by lands of Guillermo Casas, formerly Sucn. Francisco Rodriguez, by lands of Ramon Cruz Corcino and by parcel number 112 of Zalduondo Project.

The aforesaid parcel is segregated from tract "A" of the Zalduondo Farm, which is described as follows:

RURAL: Tract located in Wards Sabana and Pitahaya of the Municipality of Luquillo, Puerto Rico, containing a net area of 1,316.08 cuerdas, equivalent to 517 hectares, 26 ares, 72 centiares and 6409 then thousandths of another, after deducting 140.94 cuerdas equivalent to 55 hectares, 39 ares, 66 centiares and 5018 ten thousandths of another, which correspond to two parcels of land located within this tract, one belonging to Sucn. Rios representing 91.42 cuerdas; another belonging to Sucn. Zalduondo with an area of 48.22 cuerdas and the area taken up by the Sabana Road which crosses the tract on the northeast boundary close to the Sabana River and which represents 1.30 cuerdas; it is bounded on the North by lands of Aquilino Cantre, Lorenzo Iglesias, Meliton Molina, Francisco Quinones, Sucn. Zalduondo, Balbino Gomez, Carolina Rios, remnants of Rigores Farm owned by Diego Zalduondo, Francisco Diaz, formerly Evaristo Rios, Evaristo Figueroa, formerly Tito Rosa, Avelino Robles, Rosario Figueroa, and other lands belonging to Diego Zalduondo and Eladio Rodriguez; on the South by lands of Sucn. Matienzo, lands of the Municipality of Luquillo, Sucn, Arturo Bird Arias and Rafael Calderon; on the East, by lands of the Insular Government of Puerto Rico, Marcelino Perez, Sucn. Resto divided by a brook, Rafael Calderon, formerly Roque Pena; and on the West by Sabana River, lands of Sucn. Anita Rosado, Zenon Cruz, Sucn. Alfredo Turedo, Ramon Cruz Corcino, Sucn. E. Rodriguez and lands of the Insular Government of Puerto Rico. This tract is crossed approximately through its center by the Pitahaya River in a southeast-northwest direction. It is also crossed by various private roads.

This tract was obtained by the Government through purchase from Mr. Diego Zalduondo Veve, as attested by deed number five (5) dated February 11, 1937 before the Notary Carlos del Toro Fernandez.

The above-described land is recorded in the Registry of Property at Luquillo, Puerto Rico, at folio 8, volume 26, farm number 913, inscription 5th.

2. RURAL: Parcel located in Ward Sabana Llana of the Municipality of Rio Piedras and which forms part of the Puerto Rico Reconstruction Administration's Project named "San Just", comprising a net area of 27.9275 cuerdas, equivalent to 10 hectares, 97 ares, 65 centiares and 96 one thousandths; bounded on the North by lands belonging to Domingo Serra; on the South by parcels numbers 218 to 224, inclusive, and parcels numbers 266 to 271, inclusive, of San Just Project and by the Puerto Rico Clay Products Corporation; on the East by lands of Escolastico Diaz and the Puerto Rico Clay Products Corporation; and on the West by lands of Ulises Ortiz and the Puerto Rico Clay Products Corporation.

The aforesaid parcel is segregated from Tract "B" of the San Just Project located in Ward Sabana Llana of the Municipality of Rio Piedras and contains 66 cuerdas and 68 hundredths, equivalent to 26 hectares, 20 ares, 67 centiares and 46 hundredths; it is bounded on the North by lands of Domingo Serra and Sucn. Gertrudis Rollet; on the South by a ridge that divides the municipality of Trujillo Alto and which in turn separates a part of this tract located in Ward Las Cuevas of the Municipality of Trujillo Alto known as Tract "D"; on the East by lands of Ulises Ortiz and the brook that divides the lands from the part of this tract located in Ward San Anton of the Municipality of Carolina, known as Tract "A"; and on the West by lands of Felicita Rivera, the line of which partly crosses a brook, and also by lands of Epifanio Lorenzo, formerly owned by Gerardo Ruiz, which land is divided by a brook, and also bounded on the West by lands of Evangelista Delgado, formerly owned by Serafina Guadalupe and by lands of Ezequiela Vda. De Carmoega.

This tract was obtained by the Government through purchase from Mr. Theodore S. Heriot who appeared in behalf of and representing Mrs. Helen Wilson Lippitt, as attested by deed number 13, dated March 11, 1937, before the Notary Angel Fiol Negron.

The above-described land is recorded in the Registry of Property at Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico, at folio 41, volume 90, farm number 4735, inscription 6th.

HARRY S. TRUMAN

THE WHITE HOUSE,

November 15, 1948