Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 35 Part 2.djvu/960



A PROCLAMATION.

WHEREAS, it is provided by section two of the Act of Congress, Chaco Canyon approved June 8, 1906, entitled, "An act for the preservation of American Antiquities", “That the President of the United States is hereby authorized, in his discretion, to declare by public proclamation historic land marks, historic and prehistoric structures, and other objects of historic or scientific interest that are situated upon the lands owned or controlled by the Government of the United States to be National Monuments, and may reserve as a part thereof parcels of land, the limits of which in all cases shall be confined to the smallest area compatible with the proper care and management of the objects to be protected ”;

And whereas, the extensive prehistoric communal or pueblo ruins in San Juan and McKinley Counties, Territory of New Mexico, principally embraced within the Chaco Canyon and generally known as the Chaco Canyon ruins situated upon the public lands owned and controlled by the United States, are of extraordinary interest because of their number and their great size and because of the innumerable and valuable relics of a prehistoric people which they contain, and it appears that the public good would be promoted by reserving these prehistoric remains as a National Monument with as much land as may be necessary for the proper protection thereof.

Now, therefore, I, Theodore Roosevelt, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the power in me vested by section two of the aforesaid act of Congress, do hereby set aside as the Chaco Canyon National Monument, subject to any valid and existing rights, the prehistoric ruins and burial grounds situated in San Juan County, New Mexico, more particularly located and described as follows, to wit:

Sections 7 and 8 and sections 16 to 29, inclusive, township 21 north, range 10; sections 1, 2, 3 and 4, sections 8 to 14 inclusive, and sections 17, 19, 20 and 30 in township 21 north, range 11; the south half of section 12 in township 20 north, range 8; the south east quarter of section 32 in township 21 north, range 12; the south east quarter of section 28 in township 17 north, range 12; the south east quarter of section 17 in township 17 north, range 10, all west of the New Mexico Principal Meridian, New Mexico, as shown upon the map hereto attached and made a part of this proclamation.

Warning is hereby expressly given to all unauthorized persons, not to appropriate, excavate, injure or destroy any of the prehistoric" ruins or remains hereby declared to be a National Monument or to locate or settle upon any of the lands reserved and made a part of said monument by this proclamation.

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