SEQUOIA General Information Regarding Sequoia and General Grant National Parks Season of 1917

PROPOSED GREATER SEQUOIA PARK.

Senate bill 2021, providing for enlarging Sequoia National Park, to include the Kings and Kern Canyons and several miles of the crest of the Sierra Nevada, including Mount Whitney, is now pending in Congress.

The public land proposed to be added to Sequoia National Park by these measures will never be valuable for any other than park purposes. Cattle are grazed on the mountain meadows during part of the year, but the administration of these meadows as part of the park will not interfere with the exercise of grazing privileges for many years to come. Small tracts of land here and there will be fenced for pasturage of live stock used by tourists.

Sequoia Park now has the giant sequoia trees as its one attraction, but if enlarged as proposed it will become a scenic park of as much distinction as that possessed by any other park in the system. Furthermore, it will become a game sanctuary of as much importance as the Yellowstone National Park.

The proposed boundaries of the park are shown on the accompanying map, and the text of Senate bill 2021 is as follows:

A BILL To add certain lands to the Sequoia National Park, California.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the boundaries of the Sequoia National Park, California, are hereby changed as follows:

EAST AND NORTH BOUNDARY LINES.

Beginning at a point on the present east boundary line, which is on the range line between ranges thirty-one and thirty-two east of the Mount Diablo meridian, in township eighteen south of the Mount Diablo base, California, where said range line intersects the hydrographic divide between Little Kern River and Soda Creek; then southeasterly along the hydrographic divide between Little Kern River and Soda Creek to the junction of Little Kern River and Quail Creek; thence easterly along the hydrographic divide between Quail Creek and Lion Creek to the summit of the Great Western Divide; thence southeasterly along the Great Western Divide to Coyote Peak (United States Geological Survey bench mark ten thousand nine hundred and nineteen feet); thence easterly along the hydrographic divide through sections thirty-one and thirty-two, township eighteen south, range thirty-three east, and section four, township nineteen south, range thirty-three east, to the junction of Kern River and Little Creek, about one-quarter mile south of Kern Lake and between that lake and Little Lake; thence easterly along the main divide south of Little Creek and between Golden Trout Creek and Cold Creek (tributaries of Kern River) to the summit of Kern Peak (United States Geological Survey bench mark eleven thousand four hundred and ninety-three feet, triangulation station); thence northerly and easterly along the hydrographic divide between the South Fork of Kern River and Golden Trout Creek to the summit of the Sierra Nevada Mountains; thence northerly and westerly along the main crest of the Sierra Nevada Mountains to Pine Creek Pass, at the head of a tributary of Pinto Creek, which flows southwesterly through French Canyon; thence following southwesterly down west bank of said creek through French Canyon and continuing along west bank of Piute Creek to the junction of the South Fork of San Joaquin River and Piute Creek; thence southerly along the main hydrographic divide to the summit of Mount Henry (twelve thousand one hundred and ninety-seven feet); thence southeasterly along the hydrographic divide between the drainage of the South Fork of San Joaquin River and the drainage of the North Fork of Kings River to the junction with Goddard Divide; thence southerly and westerly along the hydrographic divide between Goddard Creek and the drainage of the North Fork of Kings River, and along the divide between Crown Creek and Blue Canyon Creek, along Kettle Ridge to Kettle Dome; thence southwesterly along the hydrographic divide to the junction of Crown and Fawn Creeks; thence westerly along the hydrographic divide between Fawn Creek and Rodgers Creek to Obelisk Peak; thence westerly along the main hydrographic divide south of Rodgers Creek to Spanish Mountain (triangulation station, United States Geological Survey, bench mark ten thousand and forty-four feet); thence southerly along the hydrographic divide (Deer Ridge) to the junction of the South and Middle Forks of Kings River; thence southerly along the hydrographic divide between Tenmile Creek and Lockwood Creek and along the Sequoia and Big Baldy Ridges to Big Baldy (triangulation station, United States Geological Survey, bench mark eight thousand two hundred and eleven feet); thence continuing southerly along the said hydrographic divide (Big Baldy Ridge) to the northwest corner of the present Sequoia National Park, which is approximately on or near said hydrographic divide, between townships fourteen and fifteen south, ranges twenty-eight and twenty-nine east; and all of those lands lying between the boundary line last above describe and the present east and north boundary lines of said national park are hereby included in and made a part of the Sequoia National Park.

MAP SHOWING BOUNDARIES OF PROPOSED GREATER SEQUOIA NATIONAL PARK.

WEST BOUNDARY LINE.

Beginning at the present northwest corner of the Sequoia National Park, which is approximately on or near the hydrographic divide (Big Baldy Ridge), between townships fourteen and fifteen south, ranges twenty-eight and twenty-nine east; thence southerly along the said hydrographic divide now between Redwood Creek and North Fork Kaweah River to where it intersects the present west boundary of said national park in township fifteen south, range twenty-eight east; and all those lands lying between the boundary line last above described and the present west boundary line of the said national park are hereby excluded from the Sequoia National Park.

Beginning at that point on the present west boundary line of the Sequoia National Park where it is intersected by the hydrographic divide between Redwood Creek and North Fork Kaweah River in township fifteen south, range twenty-eight east; thence southerly along the said hydrographic divide to the junction of Redwood Creek and the North Fork Kaweah River; thence following down the west bank of the North Fork Kaweah River to the junction with Cactus Creek; thence southeasterly along the first main hydrographic divide south of Cactus Creek to where it intersects the present west boundary line of the said national park, township sixteen south, range twenty-eight east; and all those lands lying between the boundary line last above described and the present west boundary line of said national park are hereby included in and made a part of the Sequoia National Park.

Beginning at that point on the present west boundary line of the Sequoia National Park, where it is intersected by the first main hydrographic divide south of Cactus Creek, between that creek and North Fork Kaweah River township sixteen south, range twenty-eight east; thence southeasterly along said hydrographic divide now between Maple Creek and North Fork Kaweah River to Ash Peaks; thence southeasterly along the hydrographic divide west of Alder Creek to where it intersects the present west boundary line of said national park, between townships sixteen and seventeen south, range twenty-nine east; and all those lands lying between the boundary line last above described and the present west boundary of said national park are hereby excluded from the Sequoia National Park.

Beginning at that point on the present west boundary line of the Sequoia National Park where it is intersected by the hydrographic divide west of Alder Creek, between townships sixteen and seventeen south, range twenty-nine east; thence southeasterly along said hydrographic divide to the junction of the Middle and East Forks Kaweah River; thence south and easterly along the hydrographic divide between the East Fork Kaweah River and Salt Creek, over Red Hill, to Case Mountain; thence southerly and easterly along the hydrographic divide (Salt Creek Ridge) between the South and East Forks Kaweah River to where it intersects the present west boundary line of said national park, township eighteen south, ranges twenty-nine and thirty east. And all those lands lying between the boundary line last above described and the present west boundary line of said national park are hereby included in and made a part of the Sequoia National Park.

Beginning at that point on the present west boundary line of the Sequoia National Park where it is intersected by the hydrographic divide (Salt Creek Ridge) between the South and East Forks Kaweah River, township eighteen south, ranges twenty-nine and thirty east; thence easterly along said hydrographic divide to Homers Nose (triangulation station, nine thousand and five feet); thence southwesterly along the hydrographic divide east of Bennett and Burnt Camp Creek to where it intersects the present west boundary line of said national park, township eighteen south, ranges twenty-nine and thirty east. And all those lands lying between the last above-described boundary line and the present west boundary line of said national park are hereby excluded from the Sequoia National Park.

Beginning at that point on the present west boundary line of the Sequoia National Park, where it is intersected by the hydrographic divide east of Burnt Camp Creek, township eighteen south, ranges twenty-nine and thirty east; thence westerly along said hydrographic divide to the junction of Burnt Camp Creek and the South Fork Kaweah River; thence southeasterly along the hydrographic divide toward Dennison Mountain, to where it intersects the present west boundary of said national park, township eighteen south, ranges twenty-nine and thirty east. And all those lands lying between the last above-described boundary line and the present west boundary line of said national park are hereby included in and made a part of the Sequoia National Park.

WEST, SOUTH, AND EAST BOUNDARY LINES.

Beginning at that point on the present west boundary of the Sequoia National Park where it is intersected by the hydrographic divide running from the junction of Burnt Camp Creek and South Fork Kaweah River to Dennison Mountain, township eighteen south, ranges twenty-nine and thirty east; thence southeasterly along the said] hydrographic divide to Dennison Mountain; thence easterly along the hydrographic divide (Dennison Ridge) between the South Fork Kaweah River, the North Fork of Tule River, and the North Fork of the Middle Fork of Tule River and continuing along said hydrographic divide now between the South Fork Kaweah River and Pecks Canyon, Soda Creek, and Little Kern River to its intersection with the present east boundary line of said national park, which is on the range line between ranges thirty-one and thirty-two east, in township eighteen south, Mount Diablo base, California. And all those lands lying between the last above-described boundary line and the present west, south, and east boundary lines of said national park are hereby excluded from the Sequoia National Park.

All lands hereby excluded from Sequoia National Park are included in and made a part of the national forests adjacent thereto.

SEC. 2. That the previsions of the act of September twenty-fifth, eighteen hundred and ninety, entitled "An act to set apart a certain tract of land as a public park"; the act of October first, eighteen hundred and ninety, entitled "An act to set apart certain tracts of land in the State of California as forest reservations"; and the act of August twenty-fifth, nineteen hundred and sixteen, entitled "An act to establish the National Park Service, and for other purposes"; and all acts supplementary to and amendatory of said acts, are made applicable to and extended over the lands hereby added to the park.

SEC. 3. That the mineral-land laws of the United States are hereby extended to the lands included within said park.

SEC. 4. That nothing herein contained shall affect any valid existing claim, location, or entry under the land laws of the United States, whether for homestead, mineral, right of way, or any other purpose whatsoever, or shall affect the rights of any such claimant, locator, or entryman to the full use and enjoyment of his land.

OTHER NATIONAL PARKS.

The circulars containing information about national parks listed below may be obtained free of charge by writing to the Secretary of the Interior, Washington, D. C.:

RAILROADS TRIBUTARY TO NATIONAL PARKS IN CALIFORNIA.