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Show 6- 1142 901S6- 22 DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR UNITED STATES INDIAN FIELD SERVICE Towaoc, Colorado, November 5* 192J* Commissioner of Indian Affairs, Washington, D. C. Sir: Reference is made to Office letter dated September 18, t02; 5j in the second paragraph is the following: "*** that you be instructed K& xftscxxscExjsssszbisx to svoid as far as possible from allotting any lands on the west side of Cottonwood Creek which have heretofore been used or which may be needed by the stockmen in traversing with their stock through Cottonwood Canyon." It is not quite clear to me whether this means all land that may have been heretofore used or may be needed by the stockmen on the west side of Cottonwood Canyon or just that portion lying north of the former south boundary of the La Sal National Forest, which is the line between sections six and seven, Township 5°* S,, Range 21 S. The allotments shown on the accompanying plat on both sides of Cottonwood, that is the allotments shown in black and l;/ ing south of the former south boundary of the Forest were filed by me Aug ust 17, last. The allotment s shown in black and lying along Allen Canyon have recently been filed, since the elimination order, as these allotments are not affected by any reservations. The tracts cf land and names shown in red along the Cottonwood and above the former forest boundary are what the Indians have requested for allotments, the applications have been signed and will be held in ay office until the driveways for stock question has been settled. It will be noted that only small portions of the land covered by these latter applications are of any value, that is the agricultural land is only in small tracts lying between the foot of the bluffs and the bunk of the creek and in every case the application covoru land lying on both sides of the creek. To avoid allotting } nnd on the west side of the creek will deprive the Indians of too irnny of tn ese small patches of land that they will require for farming purposes. Another difficulty arises in describing allotments that lie only on one side of the creekj Cottonwood Creek is not a meander-able stream, being only fifty feet from bank to bank in many places. Cf course at this time applications can be made by describing these lands by metes and bounds but when the official survey is made they would not conform to any legal subdivision. |