By the terms of section 31 of the Act of June 25, 1910 (36 Stat. 863; 25 U.S.C. 337), allotments under the fourth section of the Act of February 8, 1887, as amended, may be made within national forests.

An allotment under this section may be made for lands containing coal and oil and gas with reservation of the mineral contents to the United States, but not for lands valuable for metalliferous minerals. The rules governing the conduct of fourth-section applications under the Act of February 8, 1887 as amended, apply equally to applications under said section 31.

An Indian who desires to apply for an allotment within a national forest under this act must submit the application to the supervisor of the particular forest affected, by whom it will be forwarded with appropriate report, through the district forester and Chief, Forest Service, to the Secretary of Agriculture, in order that he may determine whether the land applied for is more valuable for agriculture or grazing than for the timber found thereon.

(a) Should the Secretary of Agriculture decide that the land applied for, or any part of it, is chiefly valuable for the timber found thereon, he will transmit the application to the Secretary of the Interior and inform him of his decision in the matter. The Secretary of the Interior will cause the applicant to be informed of the action of the Secretary of Agriculture.

(b) In case the land is found to be chiefly valuable for agriculture or grazing, the Secretary of Agriculture will note that fact on the application and forward it to the Commissioner of Indian Affairs.

(c) If the Commissioner of Indian Affairs approves the application, he will transmit it to the Bureau of Land Management for issuance of a trust patent.