Alaska Under authority of the acts of Congress approved March 3, 1891 (26 Stat. 1095), and June 4, 1897 (30 Stat. 11, 34, 36), and on the recommendation of the Secretary of Agriculture, it is hereby ordered that in the vicinity of the settlement of Petersburg, Alaska, the boundary of the Tongass National Forest be, and the same is hereby, changed to exclude any of the following described areas in Tps. 58 and 59 S., R. 79 E., Cooper River meridian, which were within the boundaries of the said forest as established by proclamation of June 10, 1925 (44 Stat. 2578): SE. ¼ sec. 21; all of sec. 22; lots 1 to 6, inclusive, sec. 26; U.S. surveys Nos. 282 and 1168, lots 1, 2, and 3, sec. 27; U.S. survey No. 1209, lots 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, NW. ¼ NE. ¼, N. ½ NW. ¼, and SW. ¼ NW. ¼, sec. 28; lots 1, 4, and 5, sec. 29; U.S. surveys Nos. 283, 284, 1477, and 1173, lots 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, and 8, sec. 33; lots 1, 2, 3, 4, and S. ½, sec. 34; lots 1, 2, 3, W. ½ NE. ¼, E. ½ NW. ¼, and S. ½, sec. 35; lots 1, 2, and SW. ¼, sec. 36, T. 58 S., R. 79 E.; H. E. S. No. 38, lots 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, NE .¼ NW. ¼, and E. ½, sec. 3; U.S. survey No. 285, lots 1, 2, 5, 6, and 9, sec. 4; lot 1, sec. 9; H. E. S. No. 41, U.S. surveys Nos. 1211 and 1688, lots 1 to 7, inclusive, E. ½ SW. ¼, and E. ½, sec. 10; T. 59 S., R. 79 E.; Containing 4905.69 acres according to the plats on file in the General Land Office; and it is further ordered that any and all lands, surveyed and unsurveyed, in Tps. 58 and 59 S., R. 79 E., Cooper River meridian, situated between the exterior limits of the above-described areas and the Tongass National Forest, be, and the same are hereby, added to said forest. The withdrawal for national forest purposes made by this order shall, as to all lands which are at this date legally appropriated under the public land laws or reserved for any public purpose, be subject to and shall not interfere with or defeat legal rights under such appropriation, nor prevent the use for such public purpose of lands so reserved, so long as such appropriation is legally maintained, or such reservation remains in force. It is further ordered, pursuant to Public Resolution No. 85, approved June 12, 1930, that, subject to valid rights, the public lands in the excluded areas shall be opened to entry under the homestead laws by qualified ex-service men for whose service recognition is granted by such resolution, under the terms and conditions of said resolution and the regulations issued thereunder for a period of 91 days, beginning with the 63d day from and after the date hereof, and thereafter if unentered, to appropriation under any applicable public land law by the general public. Subsequent to this order, and prior to the date of restoration to general disposition as herein provided, no right may be acquired to said land by settlement in advance of entry, or otherwise, except strictly in accordance herewith. HERBERT HOOVER The White House, September 5, 1930.
Executive Order 5439—Tongass National Forest
Executive Brief • At a Glance
In the vicinity of the settlement of Petersburg, Alaska, the boundary of the Tongass National Forest be, and the same is hereby, changed to exclude any of the following described areas in Tps. 58 and 59 S., R. 79 E., Cooper River meridian, which were within the boundaries of the said forest as established by proclamation of June 10, 1925 (44 Stat. 2578): SE. ¼ sec. 21; all of sec. 22; lots 1 to 6, inclusive, sec. 26; U.S. surveys Nos. 282 and 1168, lots 1, 2, and 3, sec. 27; U.S. survey No. 1209, lots 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, NW. ¼ NE. ¼, N. ½ NW. ¼, and SW. ¼ NW. ¼, sec. 28; lots 1, 4, and 5, sec. 29; U.S. surveys Nos. 283, 284, 1477, and 1173, lots 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, and 8, sec. 33; lots 1, 2, 3, 4, and S. ½, sec. 34; lots 1, 2, 3, W. ½ NE. ¼, E.…
Plain-English Translation & Framers' Constitutional Analysis
Early Statesman synthesis distilling legal jargon into practical meaning, statutory anchors, and structural constitutional impacts.
Signed by President Herbert Hoover on September 5, 1930, this order concerns Tongass National Forest. In the vicinity of the settlement of Petersburg, Alaska, the boundary of the Tongass National Forest be, and the same is hereby, changed to exclude any of the following described areas in Tps. 58 and 59 S., R. 79 E., Cooper River meridian, which were within the boundaries of the said forest as established by proclamation of June 10, 1925 (44 Stat. 2578): SE. ¼ sec. 21; all of sec. 22; lots 1 to 6, inclusive, sec.…
Key Directives & Operative Actions
In the vicinity of the settlement of Petersburg, Alaska, the boundary of the Tongass National Forest be, and the same is hereby, changed to exclude any of the following described areas in Tps. 58 and 59 S., R. 79 E., Cooper River meridian, which were within the boundaries of the said forest as established by proclamation of June 10, 1925 (44 Stat. 2578): SE. ¼ sec. 21; all of sec. 22; lots 1 to 6, inclusive, sec. 26; U.S. surveys Nos. 282 and 1168, lots 1, 2, and 3, sec. 27; U.S. survey No. 1209, lots 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, NW. ¼ NE. ¼, N. ½ NW. ¼, and SW. ¼ NW. ¼, sec. 28; lots 1, 4, and 5, sec. 29; U.S. surveys Nos. 283, 284, 1477, and 1173, lots 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, and 8, sec. 33; lots 1, 2, 3, 4, and S. ½, sec. 34; lots 1, 2, 3, W. ½ NE. ¼, E.…
The withdrawal for national forest purposes made by this order shall, as to all lands which are at this date legally appropriated under the public land laws or reserved for any public purpose, be subject to and shall not interfere with or defeat legal rights under such appropriation, nor prevent the use for such public purpose of lands so reserved, so long as such appropriation is legally maintained, or such reservation remains in force.
It is further ordered, pursuant to Public Resolution No. 85, approved June 12, 1930, that, subject to valid rights, the public lands in the excluded areas shall be opened to entry under the homestead laws by qualified ex-service men for whose service recognition is granted by such resolution, under the terms and conditions of said resolution and the regulations issued thereunder for a period of 91 days, beginning with the 63d day from and after the date hereof, and thereafter if unentered, to appropriation under any applicable public land law by the general public.
Constitutional & Societal Entities Impacted
Policy Areas & Topics
The Framers' Constitutional Council
1787 PrismEvaluating this order against the constitutional debates of 1787 and the limits of Article II executive power.
"When the President acts in absence of either a congressional grant or denial of authority, he can only rely upon his own independent powers, but there is a zone of twilight in which he and Congress may have concurrent authority."
James Madison
Separation of Powers & Legislative Primacy
"Power is of an encroaching nature, and it ought to be effectually restrained from passing the limits assigned to it." — Federalist No. 48 (1788)
Madison would view this order with watchful scrutiny. Operating in the 'Zone of Twilight' where Congress is silent, each such directive establishes an administrative precedent that steadily expands the executive perimeter at the expense of legislative primacy.
Alexander Hamilton
The Energetic Executive & Unified Command
"A feeble Executive implies a feeble execution of the government; and a government ill executed, whatever it may be in theory, must be, in practice, a bad government." — Federalist No. 70 (1788)
Hamilton would view this directive as the natural and indispensable functioning of administrative leadership. Without the power to coordinate agencies, manage personnel, and resolve operational ambiguities, the modern presidency would be reduced to an impotent figurehead.
George Mason
Bill of Rights, Due Process & 10th Amendment
"The president will be surrounded by flatterers and sycophants... and the great powers of the executive will gradually absorb the liberties of the people." — Cato IV (Anti-Federalist, 1787)
The Anti-Federalist prism advises continuous democratic vigilance. Even routine administrative directives aggregate centralized federal power away from town halls and state assemblies toward a distant executive apparatus.
Five Measurable "Constitutional Friction" Dimensions
An objective audit measuring potential separation-of-powers tension against the United States Constitution and established Supreme Court doctrine.
Legislative Encroachment & Purse
Administers commerce or fiscal programs requiring ongoing statutory delegation and legislative oversight.
Executive Scope & Faithfulness
Exercises standard supervisory executive authority to faithfully execute existing statutes.
Federalism & State Sovereignty
Confined strictly to internal federal jurisdiction, federal property, or direct military command.
Due Process & Individual Rights
Focuses on internal governmental operations with no direct impairment of private rights or property.
Youngstown Jacksonian Tier
The order relies on inherent Article II executive discretion, civil service management, or foreign diplomacy where Congress has neither expressly approved nor prohibited action.
This order operates within Justice Jackson’s Zone of Twilight, resting upon concurrent presidential authority or congressional silence.
Scholarly & Legal Citations
Exec. Order No. 5439 (Sept. 5, 1930), https://executiveordersarchive.org/orders/app-executive-order-5439-tongass-national-forest.