to purchase, acquire, or otherwise terminate or interfere with any lease or leases which may be applicable to said owner's lands. SEC. 3. Any reservations retained under the provisions of subsection (1) of section 1 hereof shall be exercised by the owners subject to reasonable rules and regulations which the Secretary may prescribe for the protection of the park, but which shall permit the reserved rights to be exercised so that the oil, gas, and minerals may be explored for, developed, extracted, and removed from the park area in accordance with sound conservation practices. All operations shall be carried on under such regulations as the Secretary may prescribe to protect the lands and areas for park purposes. SEC. 4. In any action caused by the Secretary of the Interior to be commenced for the acquisition of lands under the provisions hereof, reasonable diligence shall be exercised by him to ascertain whether owners elect to retain reservations in accordance with the provisions of this Act. If, after the exercise of such reasonable diligence, owners cannot be located, or do not appear in judicial proceedings to acquire the lands, so that it may be ascertained whether they desire to retain reservations in accordance with the provisions hereof, the Secretary may acquire the fee simple title to their lands free and clear of reservations as set forth in subsections (1) and (2) of section 1 hereof. Approved October 10, 1949. [PUBLIC LAW 345-81ST CONGRESS] [CHAPTER 671-18T SESSION] [H. R. 2418] AN ACT To promote effectual planning, development, maintenance, and coordination of wildlife, fish and game conservation and rehabilitation in the Eglin Field Reservation. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the Secretary of the Air Force is hereby authorized and directed to carry out a program of planning, development, maintenance, and coordination of wildlife, fish, and game conservation and rehabilitation in the Eglin Field Reservation in cooperation with the Secretary of the Interior through the Fish and Wildlife Service. The Secretary of the Air Force is hereby authorized and directed to adopt suitable regulations for such conservation and rehabilitation in accordance with a general plan agreed upon between the Secretary of the Air Force and the Secretary of the Interior, including provisions for the restocking, propagation, and conservation of game and fish in said reservation. Such regulations shall provide for the issuance of hunting and fishing permits to individuals and shall require the payment of a nominal fee therefor, which fees shall be utilized for restocking, propagation, and other related wildlife activities in said reservation. Such regulations shall not be inconsistent with, insofar as possible, the law and regulations of the State of Florida relating to hunting and fishing. SEC. 2. That the Secretary of the Air Force is hereby authorized and directed to expend a sum equal to all sums heretofore or hereafter accumulated by the Air Force from money collected through the sale of game permits in the Eglin Field Reservation prior to and after the adoption of the program authorized by this Act for the purposes of said program. Proper accounting of funds thus expended shall be made at the direction of the Secretary. SEC. 3. That the Department of the Air Force is held free from any liability to pay into the Treasury of the United States upon the operation of said program authorized by this Act any funds which may have been or may hereafter be expended by the United States Air Force to carry out the purposes of said program, and which expenditure has been properly accounted for to the Comptroller General of the United States. Approved October 11, 1949. [CHAPTER 674-1ST SESSION] [S. J. Res. 53] JOINT RESOLUTION To provide for the reforestation and revegetation of the forest and range lands of the national forests, and for other purposes. Whereas the national forests of the United States contain approximately eighty million acres of the Nation's commercial timber lands and approximately eighty-three million acres of the Nation's important grazing lands; and Whereas these national-forest lands comprise the principal source of water supply for domestic, irrigation, and industrial purposes for thousands of communities, farms, and industries, and good forest and other vegetative cover is essential for watershed protection; and Whereas these lands annually supply approximately four billion board-feet of forest products through twenty-seven thousand sales transactions and the demand for national forest timber is steadily increasing; and Whereas these lands are the sole or main source of summer range for ten million cattle and sheep grazed by thirty thousand livestock permittees whose livelihood is wholly or partially dependent upon livestock grazed on national-forest ranges; and Whereas these lands contain over four million acres of denuded and unsatisfactorily stocked timberlands and an additional four million acres of seriously depleted range lands; and Whereas all of these lands are potentially capable of producing an important part of the timber and forage needs of local communities, and contributing to the protection of water sheds, thereby alleviating flood damage and insuring a continuing water supply, increasing opportunity for local employment, bringing greater stability to local communities, and increasing returns to counties in the national forests from their share of national forests receipts, together with other benefits; and Whereas these lands will not restock or revegetate satisfactorily or within a reasonable time except through reforestation and revegetation or other measures to induce restocking or revegetation; and Whereas it is practical to reforest these denuded and unsatisfactorily stocked timber lands and revegetate these seriously depleted range lands in a period of fifteen years; and Whereas it is necessary to provide reasonable continuity of reforestation and revegetation programs in order to insure effective, efficient, and economical operations: Therefore be it Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That it is the declared policy of the Congress to accelerate and provide a continuing basis for the needed reforestation and revegetation of national-forest lands and other lands under administration or control of the Forest Service of the Department of Agriculture in order to obtain the benefits hereinbefore enumerated. SEC. 2. For the purpose of carrying out the provisions of this joint. resolution on national-forest lands and other lands under the administration or control of the Forest Service of the Department of Agriculture, including the acquisition of land or interests therein for nurseries, there is hereby authorized to be appropriated to remain. available until December 31 of the ensuing fiscal year, $3,000,000 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1951; $5,000,000 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1952; $7,000,000 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1953; $8.000,000 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1954; $10,000,000 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1955; a like amount for each subsequent year through the fiscal year ending June 30, 1965, and thereafter such amounts as may be needed for reforestation; and $1,500,000 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1951; $1,750,000 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1952; $2,000,000 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1953; $2,500,000 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1954; $3,000,000 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1955; a like amount for each subsequent year through the fiscal year ending June 30, 1965, and thereafter such amounts as may be needed for range revegetation. Approved October 11, 1949. [PUBLIC LAW 370-818T CONGRESS] [H. R. 2369] AN ACT To authorize an appropriation to complete the International Peace Garden, North Dakota. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That, for the purpose of assisting the State of North Dakota to complete, in accordance with plans heretofore approved, the International Peace Garden established in North Dakota on the international boundary line. between United States and Canada for the purpose of furthering international peace among the nations of the world, there is hereby authorized to be appropriated not to exceed the sum of $100,000. SEC. 2. Any funds appropriated pursuant hereto shall be expended cnly in accordance with the terms of an agreement to be entered into between the Secretary of the Interior and the State of North Dakota to govern such expenditures. Approved October 25, 1949. [CHAPTER 735-1ST SESSION] [H. R. 2296] AN ACT To amend and supplement the Act of June 7, 1924 (43 Stat. 653), and for other purposes. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That there is hereby authorized to be appropriated annually not more than $20,000,000 to enable the Secretary of Agriculture to carry out the provisions of sections 1, 2, and 3 of the Act of June 7, 1924 (43 Stat. 653), as amended: Provided, That the appropriation under this authorization shall not exceed $11,000,000 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1950; $13,000,000 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1951; $15,000,000 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1952; $17,000,000 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1953; and $19,000,000 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1954. SEC. 2. Section 4 of the Act of June 7, 1924 (43 Stat. 654), is hereby amended to read as follows: "SEC. 4. The Secretary of Agriculture is hereby authorized and directed to cooperate with the various States in the procurement, production, and distribution of forest-tree seeds and plants, for the purpose of establishing forests, windbreaks, shelter belts, and farm wood lots upon denuded or nonforested lands within such cooperating States, under such conditions and requirements as he may prescribe to the end that forest-tree seeds or plants so procured, produced, or distributed shall be used effectively for planting denuded or nonforested lands in the cooperating States and growing timber thereon. The amount expended by the Federal Government in cooperation with any State during any fiscal year for such purposes shall not exceed the amount expended by the State for the same purposes during the same fiscal year, and the Secretary of Agriculture is authorized to make expenditures on the certificate of the State official having charge of the cooperative work for the State that State expenditures as provided for in this section have been made. There is hereby authorized to be appropriated to enable the Secretary of Agriculture to carry out the provisions of this section not more than $1,000,000 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1950; $1,500,000 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1951; $2,000,000 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1952; and $2,500,000 for each subsequent fiscal year.' SEC. 3. Section 5 of the Act of June 7, 1924 (43 Stat. 654), is hereby amended to read as follows: "SEC. 5. The Secretary of Agriculture is hereby authorized and directed, in cooperation with the land grant colleges and universities of the various States or, in his discretion, with other suitable State agencies, to aid farmers through advice, education, demonstrations, and other similar means in establishing, renewing, protecting, and managing wood lots, shelter belts, windbreaks, and other valuable forest |