TENNESSEE By virtue of and pursuant to the authority vested in me as President of the United States, and in order to effectuate further the purposes of the Migratory Bird Conservation Act (45 Stat. 1222), it is ordered that the lands and waters acquired or to be acquired by the United States in the following-described areas in Lake and Obion Counties, Tennessee, be, and they are hereby, reserved and set apart, subject to existing valid rights, for the use of the Department of Agriculture as a refuge and breeding ground for migratory birds and other wildlife: Provided , That any private lands within the area described shall become part of the refuge hereby established upon acquisition of title thereto or control thereof by the United States: First parcel: Beginning at a point in the center of the Free Bridges Drainage District ditch, the line between Lake and Obion Counties, from which point a U. S. Geological Survey Primary Traverse Station marked 7W 1921 bears N. 83°45' W., 52.28 chains distant, also from said point a 1¼" x 48" galvanized iron pipe set for a witness corner bears N. 79°53' W., 0.60 chain distant. Thence from said initial point, in Lake County, N. 79°53' W., 5.75 chains; N. 5°42' E., 51.54 chains; N. 88°30' W., 10.33 chains, to a point in the center of a gravel road; N. 12°55' W., 30.77 chains; N. 81°55' W., 28.91 chains; N. 4°05' E., 35.22 chains; N. 51°36' E., 54.12 chains; N. 2°29' W., 2232 chains; N. 18°31' E., 8.30 chains; S. 83°31' E., 20.08 chains; N. 32°49' E., 23.45 chains; N. 83°27' W., 32.73 chains; N. 6°51' E.,-33.35 chains, to a point at intersection of gravel roads; N. 6°28' E., 14.35 chains, to a point in the center of a gravel road; S. 89°49' E., 46.01 chains; N. 23°55' E., 13.46 chains; N. 6°28' E., 7.45 chains; N. 6°03' E., 21.05 chains; N. 1°56' E., 9.23 chains; N. 31°32' E., 10.55 chains; S. 89°05' E., 9.35 chains; N. 0°54' W., 0.82 chain, to a point in center of the Free Bridges Road; S. 87°54' E., 6.02 chains, to a point in the center of said road; N. 87°34' E., 7.61 chains, to a point at the intersection of said road and a slough; Thence down the center of slough with the meanders thereof, S. 9°46' W., 3.75 chains; S. 7°42' W., 7.51 chains; S. 18°52' E., 5.49 chains; S. 18°46' E., 1.54 chains: S. 49°21' E., 1.44 chains; S. 20°48' E., 7.44 chains; S. 9°21' E., .3.22 chains; S. 5°59' W., 5.44 chains; S. 14°21' W., 8.63 chains; Thence leaving slough, S. 87°13' E., 4.05 chains, to a point In the center of the Free Bridges Drainage District ditch, and in the line between Lake and Obion Counties; Thence with the center line of Free Bridges Drainage District ditch, the line between Lake and Obion Counties, S. 2°53' W., 0.92 chain; S. 25°00' W., 28.04 chains; S. 3°50' W., 5.94 chains; Thence leaving said line, N. 88°14' W., 8.18 chains; S. 4°47' W., 6.14 chains: S. 84°07' E., 3.75 chains; S. 4°45' W., 30.06 chains, to a point in the center of the Free Bridges Drainage District ditch, and in the line between Lake and Obion Counties; Thence in Obion County, S. 4°45' W., 50.73 chains; N. 86°07' W., 3.75 chains; N. 84°51' W., 14.07 chains, to a point in the center of the Free Bridges Drainage District ditch, and in the line between Lake and Obion Counties; Thence with the center line of Free Bridges Drainage District ditch, the line between Lake and Obion Counties, S. 24°59' W., 40.63 chains; Thence in Lake County, N. 85°33' W., 6.71 chains; S. 43°44' W., 34.43 chains, to a point In center of a slough; Thence down the center of slough with the meanders thereof, S. 4°46' W., 1.80 chains; S. 14°06' E., 2.80 chains; S. 9°39' E., 2.20 chains; S. 17°02' E., 7.61 chains; S. 82°57' E., 1.30 chains; S. 50°29' E., 1.43 chains; S. 31°34' E., 2.80 chains; S. 10°00' E., 4.20 chains; S. 3°08' E., 6.00 chains; S. 6°14' W., 2.30 chains: S. 21°03' E., 1.70 chains; S. 3°55' W., 1.90 chains; S. 29°34' W., 3.72 chains; S. 1°38' W., 1.64 chains; S. 18°13' W., 3.50 chains; S. 0°41' E., 4.61 chains; S. 34°57' W., 2.16 chains; S. 24° 16' E., 4.89 chains, to a point in the center line of Free Bridges Drainage District ditch, and in the line between Lake and Obion Counties; Thence with the center line of Free Bridges Drainage District ditch, the line between Lake and Obion Counties, S. 14°36' W., 16.84 chains; S. 18°59' W., 24.89 chains, to the place of beginning, containing 1,501.31 acres, more or less. Second parcel: Beginning at a point in the center of the Samburg-Dyersburg Road about six miles northeasterly of Ridgely, from which point a 1¼" x 36" galvanized iron pipe set for a witness corner bears S. 85°14' E., 0.38 chain distant. Thence along the center of the Samburg-Dyersburg Road with the meanders thereof, N. 42°51' E., 2.05 chains to a point in center of bridge; N. 45°05' E., 3.80 chains; N. 36°23' E., 4.10 chains; N. 38°49' E., 4.80 chains; N. 32°32' E., 4.96 chains; Thence leaving said road, S. 85° 14' E., 7.45 chains; S. 5°46' W., 16.43 chains; N. 85° 14' W., 18.04 chains, to the place of beginning, containing 20.16 acres, more or less. All bearings in the above description are referred to the true meridian as determined by solar observations during the course of surveys by the Bureau of Biological Survey, in 1935. This refuge shall be known as the Lake Isom Migratory Waterfowl Refuge. FRANKLIN D ROOSEVELT The White House, August 12, 1938.
Executive Order 7953—Establishing Lake Isom Migratory Waterfowl Refuge
Executive Brief • At a Glance
The lands and waters acquired or to be acquired by the United States in the following-described areas in Lake and Obion Counties, Tennessee, be, and they are hereby, reserved and set apart, subject to existing valid rights, for the use of the Department of Agriculture as a refuge and breeding ground for migratory birds and other wildlife: Provided , That any private lands within the area described shall become part of the refuge hereby established upon acquisition of title thereto or control thereof by the United States: First parcel: Beginning at a point in the center of the Free Bridges Drainage District ditch, the line between Lake and Obion Counties, from which point a U. S. Geological Survey Primary Traverse Station marked 7W 1921…
Plain-English Translation & Framers' Constitutional Analysis
Early Statesman synthesis distilling legal jargon into practical meaning, statutory anchors, and structural constitutional impacts.
Signed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt on August 12, 1938, this order concerns Establishing Lake Isom Migratory Waterfowl Refuge. The lands and waters acquired or to be acquired by the United States in the following-described areas in Lake and Obion Counties, Tennessee, be, and they are hereby, reserved and set apart, subject to existing valid rights, for the use of the Department of Agriculture as a refuge and breeding ground for migratory birds and other wildlife: Provided , That any private lands within the area described shall become part…
Key Directives & Operative Actions
The lands and waters acquired or to be acquired by the United States in the following-described areas in Lake and Obion Counties, Tennessee, be, and they are hereby, reserved and set apart, subject to existing valid rights, for the use of the Department of Agriculture as a refuge and breeding ground for migratory birds and other wildlife: Provided , That any private lands within the area described shall become part of the refuge hereby established upon acquisition of title thereto or control thereof by the United States: First parcel: Beginning at a point in the center of the Free Bridges Drainage District ditch, the line between Lake and Obion Counties, from which point a U. S. Geological Survey Primary Traverse Station marked 7W 1921…
This refuge shall be known as the Lake Isom Migratory Waterfowl Refuge.
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
Operates within delegated statutory execution without modifying legislative appropriations or taxing powers.
Executive Scope & Faithfulness
Exercises standard supervisory executive authority to faithfully execute existing statutes.
Federalism & State Sovereignty
Engages state and local partners in cooperative federalism programs.
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. 7953 (Aug. 12, 1938), https://executiveordersarchive.org/orders/app-executive-order-7953-establishing-lake-isom-migratory-waterfowl-refuge.