thereto have issued, and decision in a majority of the cases awaits reports from the field division. Under a special act of Congress a grazing district has been established in Montana, and while a grazing lease has not issued, progress toward that end has been made.

Buffalo pasture. On September 13, 1928, a lease was approved for a period of 10 years, under the act of May 29, 1928 (Private No. 283), providing for a buffalo pasture in South Dakota.

Mineral springs.-Under the act of March 3, 1925 (43 Stat. 1133), providing for the leasing of unreserved public land in connection with mineral, medicinal, or other springs, there were 3 cases considered during the past year and 1 lease was granted and 2 applications for lease were finally rejected.

STATE, COUNTY, OR CITY RECREATIONAL AREAS

Twelve withdrawals have been made by the department for recreational classification under the act of June 14, 1926 (44 Stat. 741), aggregating 69,089 acres, based on 1 municipal, 4 county, and 7 State petitions, and 1,740 acres of the withdrawn area are revested Oregon and California railroad lands and were withdrawn under the said act of June 14, 1926, as amended by the act of April 13, 1928 (45 Stat. 429).

Two tracts have been purchased under the law by the State of Oregon. Four of the withdrawn areas have been released, having been found not chiefly valuable for recreation purposes.

NATIONAL FORESTS

Since the issuance of the last annual report, 1 forest was created, 1 enlarged, 13 reduced and 5 interforest transfers effected under the act of June 4, 1897. (30 Stat. 34, 36.) One forest was modified by additions and also by elimination under the act of March 1, 1911. (36 Stat. 961.) Six forests were enlarged and six reduced under special acts of Congress, and two forests theretofore established under section 9 of the act of June 7, 1924 (43 Stat. 653), were abolished. Recomputation of the areas of certain national forests, due to recent surveys, increased the estimated total of last year by 11,649 acres. The changes made effected a gross addition of 1,121,258 acres and exclusion of 960,124 acres. The areas within existing forests acquired under the act of March 1, 1911 (36 Stat. 961), during the fiscal year are 173,545 acres.

There are 150 national forests, embracing 184,564,953 acres, of which a little over 86 per cent is public land. The net increase in national-forest area since the beginning of the fiscal year is 161,134 acres. During the period the public lands in 13,542 acres excluded from forests were restored to entry and other disposition. The area embraced in withdrawals for forestry purposes or in aid of forest-reservation legislation at the close of the fiscal year is 255,520

acres.

Three administrative sites, containing 190 acres, were withdrawn, and 16 such withdrawals, involving 2,373 acres, revoked, making the total area withdrawn for such purpose at the close of the fiscal year 172,176 acres, 153,266 acres thereof being in and 18,910 acres near national forests.

STOCK DRIVEWAYS

Eleven new stock driveways were established under section 10 of the act of December 29, 1916 (39 Stat. 862), as amended January 29, 1929, and 12 modified. The area withdrawn aggregates 92,287 acres, and that released from such withdrawals, 17,765 acres. Section 10 of the said act of December 29, 1916, was amended by the act of January 29, 1929 (45 Stat. 1144), to except mineral deposits from the operation of stock driveway withdrawals theretofore or thereafter made and restrict prospecting or mining operations to the use of so much of the surface only as may be reasonably incident to the mining and removal of the minerals.

The total gross area included in driveway withdrawals at the close of the fiscal year is 9,282,975 acres and is distributed by States as follows: Arizona, 497,042; California, 33,682; Colorado, 210,230; Idaho, 767,861; Montana, 224,828; Nevada, 3,555,191; New Mexico, 1,105,061; Oregon, 428,341; South Dakota, 17,675; Utah, 1,224,222; Washington, 10,919; and Wyoming, 1,207,923.

RIGHTS OF WAY

Railroad. Two hundred and seven railroad right-of-way applications were received, which, with 56 pending, made a total of 263. Of this number 43 were approved, 2 canceled, 123 upon which requirements were made, and 89 otherwise disposed of, leaving 6 awaiting

action.

Stock-watering reservoirs.-Eighty-five reservoir declaratory statement applications were received, requirements were made in 15 cases, and 66 were otherwise disposed of, leaving 4 pending.

All other rights of way.-Five hundred and sixty-three irrigation and miscellaneous right-of-way applications were received, which, together with 65 brought over, totaled 628. Of these 122 were approved, 23 finally rejected, 202 upon which additional requirements were made, and 261 otherwise disposed of, leaving 20 on hand.

Forfeiture. The number of approved rights of way of all kinds which were awaiting office action July 1, 1928, was 51, which, together with 1,017 received, totaled 1,068. Of these proof of construction was accepted on 95, canceled by relinquishment or default 146, requirements made in 721 cases, and 75 otherwise disposed of. Thirty-one cases were not reached for action. Five forfeiture suits were recommended and 23 decrees of forfeiture obtained as a result of previous recommendations. Thirty-one suits are pending in the Department of Justice.

HYDROELECTRIC POWER

As a result of applications theretofore made for restoration from power-site withdrawals and classifications, 50 restorations in accordance with the terms and conditions of section 24 of the Federal water power act were promulgated during the year.

Seventy-one hydroelectric power project applications were transmitted here by the Federal Water Power Commission involving public lands and lands within National Forests in 11 States and the Territory of Alaska.

The number in each State and the area involved are shown in the following table:

Withdrawals made under Federal water power act, fiscal year 1929

RECLAMATION AND IRRIGATION

Reclamation projects.-There are 26 active Federal reclamation projects in 14 of the public-land States, all in the western part of the United States. In addition there are now five Indian reclamation projects-viz, Flathead, Blackfeet, Fort Peck, Fort Hall, and Carlsbad-the affairs of which as to irrigation are administered by the Bureau of Indian Affairs. A summary of the principal kinds of the 1,937 cases received and the 1,918 cases handled during the past fiscal year, in addition to personal correspondence totaling about 2,000 inquiries, is as follows:

Original homestead entries.-Pending at beginning of fiscal year, 138; received, 427; examined and accepted, 173; canceled, 41; claimants called upon for additional evidence, 79; otherwise disposed of, 217; not receiving action, 55.

Assignments.-Brought over from last year, 24; received, 219; examined and accepted, 114; rejected, 4; additional evidence called for, 65; otherwise disposed of, 19; awaiting consideration, 41.

Homestead entries on which final certificates issued.-From 1928, 21; received, 499; approved for patenting, 187; canceled, 4; additional requirements made, 113; otherwise disposed of, 112; awaiting adjudication, 104.

Miscellaneous.-Pending, 31; received, 586; examined and accepted, 109; rejected, 41; additional requirements made, 84; otherwise disposed of, 354; not reached for action, 29.

Under the term "Miscellaneous" are included applications for extension of time; proof submitted by claimants in support of their entries as to residence, cultivation, and improvements; applications to make proof outside of the land district in which the lands in the entry are located; and applications to exchange or amend.

Land and water right applications in Yuma project.-Pending, 5; received, 151; accepted, 49; canceled, 67; additional evidence required, 18; otherwise disposed of, 18; at close of year, 4.

Desert-land entries.-Thirty desert-land entries of claimants receiving water for irrigation purposes from Federal irrigation projects were considered.

Reclamation irrigation districts.-Pending, 1; received, 4; additional evidence required, 1; otherwise disposed of, 4.

Public sales. Two camp reserves, one in Nebraska within the North Platte project and the other in Montana within the Lower Yellowstone project, were offered at public sale under the act of May 20, 1920 (41 Stat. 605); also one well-drilling reserve in Nevada under the act of January 26, 1921 (41 Stat. 1089).

Withdrawals and restorations.-During the year there were promulgated 46 orders of restoration and 15 orders of withdrawal under the reclamation act; 3 changes of the form of withdrawal were made and 1 setting aside certain acreage for community center and playground. The area restored in the various States totals 217,476 acres; the area withdrawn amounts to 3,218,205 acres; in addition the three orders of change of form of withdrawal affect 47,400 acres. The outstanding item was the withdrawal for the Colorado River storage, or the Boulder Dam project of 2,746,360 acres in Arizona, 237,440 acres in California, and 105,680 acres in Nevada.

Opened to entry.-There were 3 openings to entry subject to the reclamation act, of a total of 62 irrigated farm units, as follows:

Fort Hall project.-Twenty cases came up for consideration involving sales of water rights for lands in private ownership in the Fort Hall Indian reclamation project under the act of March 1, 1907. (34 Stat. 1024.)

State irrigation districts. Since the passage of the acts of August 11, 1916, and May 15, 1922 (39 Stat. 506, and 42 Stat. 541), applications by 72 irrigation districts for approval have reached the office.

During the year 5 applications involving 122,075 acres were approved, and 2 applications were rejected for a total of 8,027 acres. One application involving 27,665 acres is awaiting further evidence on behalf of the districts. Since the date of the acts applications by 58 districts, embracing a gross area of 2,432,258.40 acres, have been approved; and applications by 14 districts, embracing a gross area of 274,688.09 acres, have been finally rejected. Interlocutory action on all districts during the year involved a total of 402,914.96 acres.

Private irrigation projects. During the past fiscal year 13 reports were received as the result of investigations of private irrigation enterprises and State irrigation districts upon which claimants and applicants under the desert-land law were depending for their water supply, making a total of 1,401 such projects reported on since the adoption of the regulations of September 30, 1910. (30 L. D. 253261) There were also received from the Geological Survey four reports bearing upon the water supply and feasibility of projects in connection with which investigations had been made.

During the year 13 irrigation companies and districts were considered. In 4 cases affecting approximately 50 desert-land entries and applications the conclusions reached were in favor of the recognition of the company or district as a proper and sufficient source of water supply for the irrigation of desert claims, in 4 cases affecting

about 20 desert entries and applications the conclusions reached were adverse to such recognition, while 2 cases were closed without formal decision, it appearing that all involved claims had been disposed of by relinquishment or otherwise. Three of the reports considered resulted in actions of a preliminary or interlocutory nature.

Desert lands. Twenty-nine hundred and twenty-one cases under the desert-land laws received, with 506 brought over from last year, totaled 3,427, and were disposed of as follows: Approved, 529; canceled, 501; requirements made, 1,446; otherwise disposed of, 739; pending office action at end of the year, 212. Of the 719 approvals, 252 were approved for patenting and subsequently went to patent. Applications are being received under the relief act of March 4,

1929.

Carey Act-Carey Act withdrawals, segregations, and patent applications, aggregating 1,379,871 acres, including 112,004.37 acres pending at the beginning of the year, of either public or segregated lands, were considered, and either interlocutory or final actions were taken upon 1,373,296 acres thereof, leaving 6,575 acres awaiting office action. Of the amount disposed of, 27,129.99 acres were segregated, 5,988 acres theretofore segregated were patented, 89,860 acres were canceled, and the balance was disposed of by interlocutory actions or otherwise.

The total area now segregated and unpatented is 733,806.63.

Pittman Act. Three hundred and forty-nine Pittman Act applications and permits were before the office for action, and were disposed of as follows: 80 approved, 89 canceled, 100 upon which requirements were made, and 17 otherwise disposed of, leaving 63 awaiting office action. Four patents were issued during the year on Pittman Act entries, and several final proofs which have been submitted are in the field for investigation.

Arkansas and Minnesota drainage.-The act of May 20, 1908 (35 Stat. 169), provided for the taxation for drainage purposes and sale on nonpayment by the State of Minnesota of public lands for which final certificates have not been issued. The lands so sold can be entered by the purchaser at $1.25 per acre. During the year 23 cases were considered under the act, including the issuance of six patents. The act of January 17, 1920 (41 Stat. 392), provided for similar action by the State of Arkansas in certain townships therein, but no entries were made under this act. Regulations were issued under the act of February 28, 1929. (45 Stat. 1410.)

Swamp lands. The swamp-land work continues heavy. New applications aggregating 121,547 acres, and 171,383 acres in connection with which requirements had been made, were received; this, in addition to 104,390 acres pending at the beginning of the year, totaled 397,320 acres before the office for action. Of this amount, 11,033 acres were approved and patented, 142,833 acres finally canceled, requirements made with respect to 184,648 acres, and 11,924 acres otherwise disposed of, leaving 46,881 acres pending.

WITHDRAWALS AND RESTORATIONS

During the past year 6,022,954 acres of public lands were placed in a state of reservation, either by Executive or departmental order, under various applicable acts, for the purposes set forth in the various