An Act Creating the Mesa Verde National Park

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That there is hereby reserved from settlement, entry, sale, or other disposal, and set apart as a public reservation, all those certain tracts, pieces, and parcels of land lying and being situated in the State of Colorado, and within the boundaries particularly described as follows: Beginning at the northwest corner of section twenty-seven, township thirty-five north, range sixteen west, New Mexico principal meridian; thence easterly along the section lines to the southwest corner of the southeast quarter of section twenty, township thirty-five north, range fifteen west; thence northerly to the northwest corner of the southeast quarter of said section; thence easterly to the northeast corner of the southeast quarter of said section; thence northerly to the northwest corner of section twenty-one, said township; thence easterly to the northeast corner of the northwest quarter of said section; thence northerly to the northwest corner of the southeast quarter of section sixteen, said township; thence easterly to the northeast corner of the southeast quarter of section fifteen, said township; thence southerly to the southeast corner of said section; thence easterly to the southwest corner of section thirteen, said township; thence northerly to the northwest corner of the southwest quarter of said section; thence easterly to the northeast corner of the southwest quarter of said section; thence northerly to the northwest corner of the northeast quarter of said section; thence easterly to the northeast corner of said section; thence northerly to the northwest corner of the southwest quarter of section seven, township thirty-five north, range fourteen west; thence easterly to the northeast corner of the southwest quarter of said section; thence northerly to the northwest corner of the southeast quarter of section six, said township; thence easterly to the northeast corner of the southwest quarter of section four, said township; thence southerly to the northwest corner of the southeast quarter of section nine, said township; thence easterly to the northeast corner of the southeast quarter of said section; thence southerly to the northwest corner of section twenty-two, said township; thence easterly to the northeast corner of the northwest quarter of said section; thence southerly to the northwest corner of the southeast quarter of said section; thence easterly to the northeast corner of the southeast quarter of said section; thence southerly to the northwest quarter of section twenty-six, said township; thence easterly to the northeast corner of the northwest quarter of said section; thence southerly to the southeast corner of the southwest quarter of section thirty-five, said township; thence easterly to the northeast corner of section two, township thirty-four north, range fourteen west; thence southerly along the section line between sections one and two and between sections eleven and twelve to the northern boundary of the southern Ute Indian Reservation; thence westerly along the northern boundary of said reservation to the center of section nine, township thirty-four north, range sixteen west; thence northerly along the quartersection lines to the northwest corner of the southeast quarter of section twenty-eight, township thirty-five north, range sixteen west; thence easterly to the northeast corner of the southeast quarter of said section; thence northerly to the northwest corner of section twenty-seven, said township, the place of beginning.

SEC. 2. That said public park shall be known as the Mesa Verde National Park, and shall be under the exclusive control of the Secretary of the Interior, whose duty it shall be to prescribe such rules and regulations and establish such service as he may deem necessary for the care and management of the same. Such regulations shall provide specifically for the preservation from injury or spoliation of the ruins and other works and relics of prehistoric or primitive man within said park: Provided, That all prehistoric ruins that are situated within five miles of the boundaries of said park, as herein described, on Indian lands and not on lands alienated by patent from the ownership of the United States, are hereby placed under the custodianship of the Secretary of the Interior, and shall be administered by the same service that is established for the custodianship of the park.

SEC. 3. That the Secretary of the Interior be, and he is hereby, authorized to permit examinations, excavations, and other gathering of objects of interest within said park by any person or persons whom he may deem properly qualified to conduct such examinations, excavations, or gatherings, subject to such rules and regulations as he may prescribe: Provided always, That the examinations, excavations, and gatherings are undertaken only for the benefit of some reputable museum, university, college, or other recognized scientific or educational institution, with a view to increasing the knowledge of such objects and aiding the general advancement of archaeological science.

SEC. 4. That any person or persons who may otherwise in any manner willfully remove, disturb, destroy, or molest any of the ruins, mounds, buildings, graves, relics, or other evidences of an ancient civilization or other property from said park shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor, and upon conviction before any court having jurisdiction of such offenses shall be fined not more than one thousand dollars or imprisoned not more than twelve months, or such person or persons may be fined and imprisoned, at the discretion of the judge, and shall be required to restore the property disturbed, if possible.

Approved, June 29, 1906.¹