OCR Text |
Show San Carlos Reservation between bridges WMSS the San Carlos and Gila Rivers by the use of $20,000 appropriated by the State of Arizona. MlNlNa ON RESTRICTED INDIAN LANDS. Until recently leasing for mining operations of lands illotted to Indians outside of the Five Civilized Tribes and the Osage Nation has been more or less perfunctory,'but within the last year many lea.= have been made on several reservations in Oklahoma, and also in Wyoming. A material increase in the number of leases executed has been due chiefly to the finding of several large gas wells in the Otoe Indian Reservation, Okla., and to the increased demand for crude oil and its by-products. It is hoped that this leasing activity will result in the dimveq of oil and gas in paying quantities on these reservations and thereby increase the income of these Indians. The work of road, trail, and telephone construction has been con-tinued so far as funds would permit. The system of telephonic com-mnnication is now fairly satisfactory pn eyery reservation having important timbei interests. Although large expenditures will yet be required to make all parts of the extensive forest areas accessible by road or trail, substantial progress is being made each year, and the comparatively insignificant fire losses of the past year indicate that the existing means of fire control are effective. The administrative force has been strengthened during the year by the appointment of several men who have had thorough technical training in forestry. The work of estimating the.timber on the Menominee Reservation, begun in September, 1914, was completed early in December, 1915. About one-third of the area, of the Quinaielt Reservation was cruised in 1915. In April, 1916, this work was resumed, and it is hoped that - about three-fourths of the reservation can be completed before the October rains render further field work impracticable. The work will be completed in 1917. A resurvey of the boundaries and an estimate of the timber lands of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians was made during the year. ,Timber trespass upon these lands has been very common in the past, and several superintendents have urg9d. the difficulty of preventing trespass because of a lack of knowledge as to the boundary lines. At all important points of the boundaries, as determined by the resurvey, iron posts have now been set. In October, 1915, the timber on tribal lands of the Bad River hdian Reservation, the sale of which was authorized by section 23 |