Southern Appalachian Digital Collections

Western Carolina University (20) View all

Glimpses of our National Monuments

  • wcu_great_smoky_mtns-10725.jpg
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  • AN ACT FOR THE PRESERVATION OF AMERICAN ANTIQUITIES [Public—No. 209] Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America, in Congress assembled, That any person who shall appropriate, excavate, injure, or destroy any historic or prehistoric ruin or monument, or any object of antiquity, situated on lands owned or controlled by the Government of the United States, without the permission of the Secretary of the department of the Government having jurisdiction over the lauds on which said antiquities are situated, shall, upon conviction, be fined in a sum of not more than five hundred dollars, or be imprisoned for a period of not more than ninety days, or shall suffer both fine and imprisonment, in the discretion of the court. Seo. 2. That the President of the United States is hereby authorized, in his discretion, to declare by public proclamation historic landmarks, 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 us 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: Provided, That when such objects are situated upon a tract covered by a bona fide unperfected claim or held in private ownership, the tract, or so much thereof as may be necessary for the proper care and management of the object, may be relinquished to the Government, and the Secretary of the Interior is hereby authorized to accept the relinquishment of such tracts in behalf of the Government of the United States. Sec 3. That permits for the examination of ruins, the excavation of archico- logical sites, and the gathering of objects of antiquity upon the lands under their respective jurisdictions may be granted by the Secretaries of the Interior, Agriculture, and War to Institutions which they may deem properly qualified to conduct such examination, excavation, or gathering, subject to such rules and regulations as they may prescribe: Provided, That the examinations, excavations, and gatherings are undertaken for the benefit of reputable museums, universities, colleges, or other recognized scientific or educational institutions, with a view to increasing the knowledge of such objects, and that the gatherings shall be made for permanent preservation in public museums. Sec. 4. That the Secretaries of the departments aforesaid shall make and publish from time to time uniform rules and regulations for the purpose of carrying out the provisions of this act. Approved, June 8, 1906. AN ACT TO ESTABLISH A NATIONAL, PARK SERVICE, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES (39 Stat. 535) Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled. That there is hereby created in the Department of the Interior a service to be called the National Park Service, 68
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