During 1945-47 efforts were made to enlarge the panhandle addition to the south boundary of the park. Discussions were held with U.S. Forest Service officials to enlarge the section by extending the east and west boundaries back to section lines. The Park Service desired the expansion for the following reasons:
The straightening out and enlarging of this tongue-like addition to the park along section lines would be very desirable. Fires that start adjacent to the park have to be handled by the staff of Crater Lake National Park, because they are able to reach the area more quickly than the Forest Service. This narrow, irregularly shaped addition to the park is not easily recognized by the fishermen, hunters or trappers, even though the boundaries are marked, and trespassing on or across this narrow neck often occurs through ignorance or carelessness.
The south entrance has now become the road entrance carrying the heaviest travel, and development has been started for a small utility area there right on the edge of the south and west boundaries. If at some future time Park Headquarters should be established at the south entrance, there would not be sufficient room for the development that would be required. It is therefore very important that this area be enlarged and straightened out while the opportunity presents itself, for administrative reasons and to provide an area sufficiently large to permit all the headquarters area and utility development that will be required in the future.
Despite some friendly overtures by local Forest Service officials, however, the effort was disapproved by regional and Washington office representatives of that agency. [83]
Act of Legislature of Oregon, approved January 25, 1915, ceding to the United States exclusive jurisdiction over Crater Lake National Park in the State of Oregon. (Oregon Laws, 1920, vol. II, p. 3487.)
Be it enacted by the people of the State of Oregon, That exclusive jurisdiction shall be, and the same is hereby, ceded to the United States over and within all the territory which is now, or may hereafter be, included in that tract of land in the State of Oregon set aside by an act of Congress, approved May 22, 1902, entitled “An Act reserving from the public lands in the State of Oregon, as a public park for the benefit of the people of the United States, and for the protection and preservation of the game, fish, timber, and all other natural objects therein, a tract of land herein described, and so forth,” for the purposes of a national park, known and designated as Crater Lake National Park; saving, however, to the said State the right to serve civil or criminal process within the limits of the aforesaid park in any suits or prosecutions for, or on account of, rights acquired, obligations incurred, or crimes committed in said State but outside of said park; and saving further to the said State the right to tax persons and corporations, their franchises and property on lands included in said park: Provided, however, That jurisdiction shall not vest until the United States, through the proper officers, notifies the Governor of said State that they assume police and military jurisdiction over said park.
SEC. 2. All acts and parts of acts in conflict with this act are hereby repealed.
SEC. 3. Inasmuch as at this time there exists confusion concerning the jurisdiction of the Federal and State courts over the property and within the territory in this Act described, the passage of this Act is declared to be immediately necessary for the immediate protection of the peace, health, and safety of the State, and an emergency is hereby declared to exist, and this Act shall go into immediate force and effect from and after its passage and approval by the Governor.
