Automated Sync Active • Database updated as of Recent • Browse All Orders →
★
Executive Orders Archive

Every President • 1789 to Present
Search orders...
Executive Order 8203 Constitutional Neutral (+0.02)

Executive Order 8203—Transfer of Jurisdiction Over Certain Lands From the Secretary of Agriculture to the Secretary of War

Franklin D. Roosevelt Franklin D. Roosevelt
•
Thursday, July 13, 1939
•
2 min read (460 words)

Plain-English Translation & Framers' Constitutional Analysis

Early Statesman synthesis distilling legal jargon into practical meaning, statutory anchors, and structural constitutional impacts.

This executive order, signed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt on 1939-07-13, establishes federal administrative policy concerning "Transfer of Jurisdiction Over Certain Lands From the Secretary of Agriculture to the Secretary of War." It outlines operative directives for executive department officers, delegating enforcement responsibilities and establishing official governance guidelines.

Constitutional Assessment: Scrutinized through Article II, Section 2, this action exercises the President's constitutional role as Commander in Chief. Early Framers recognized broad executive discretion in commanding military forces during conflict, provided it remains bounded by congressional declarations and respects civilian domestic courts.

Key Directives & Operative Actions

▪ Formal executive instruction issued by the President establishing official administrative policy on Transfer of Jurisdiction Over Certain Lands From the Secretary of Agriculture to the Secretary of War.

Constitutional & Societal Entities Impacted

🏛️ Armed Forces & Military Establishments 🏛️ Executive Departments & Federal Civil Servants 🏛️ Private Citizens & Property Owners 🏛️ Public Health & Medical Institutions
Total Words
460
2,673 characters
Estimated Read Time
2 min
@ 200 words / min
Flesch-Kincaid
8.1
Post-Grad reading level
Constitutional Polarity
+0.02
Framers' Alignment index
📜

Scholarly & Legal Citations 

Exec. Order No. 8203, Franklin D. Roosevelt (Jul 13, 1939). Available at https://executiveordersarchive.org/orders/app-executive-order-8203-transfer-jurisdiction-over-certain-lands-from-the-secretary.

Official Document Text

Source: The American Presidency Project (UCSB Archive)

Original Source →
WISCONSIN Whereas certain lands within the hereinafter-described areas have been acquired, or are in process of acquisition, under the authority of the Emergency Relief Appropriation Act of 1935, approved April 8, 1935 (49 Stat. 115), in connection with the Camp McCoy, LO-WI 16, Land-Utilization and Land-Conservation Project of the Department of Agriculture, in Wisconsin; and Whereas by Executive Order No. 7908, dated June 9, 1938, all the right, title, and interest of the United States in such lands, acquired or in process of acquisition, was transferred to the Secretary of Agriculture for use, administration, and disposition in accordance with the provisions of Title III of the Bankhead-Jones Farm Tenant Act, approved July 22, 1937 (50 Stat. 522, 525), and the related provisions of Title IV thereof; and immediately upon the acquisition of legal title to those lands now in process of acquisition the said order, by the terms thereof, will become applicable to all the additional right, title, and interest thereby acquired by the United States; and Whereas it appears that the use of such lands as a military reservation would be in the public interest: Now, Therefore , by virtue of and pursuant to the authority vested in me by section 32 of Title III of the said Bankhead-Jones Farm Tenant Act, and upon recommendation of the Secretary of Agriculture, it is ordered that all lands within the hereinafter-described areas acquired or in process of acquisition by the United States, together with the improvements thereon, be, and they are hereby, transferred from the Secretary of Agriculture to the Secretary of War for use as a military reservation: Provided, however , that the Secretary of Agriculture shall retain such jurisdiction over the lands now in process of acquisition by the United States as may be necessary to enable him to complete their acquisition. MONROE COUNTY, WISCONSIN FOURTH PRINCIPAL MERIDIAN T. 17 N., R. 2 W., sec. 16, S½, and S½NW¼; sec. 17, S½S½. S½SE¼NE¼, and N½NE¼SE¼; sec. 18, S½S½; sec. 19, NE¼, N½NW¼, and NW¼SE¼; secs. 20 and 21, all; sec. 28, NW¼NW¼; sec. 29, N½NE¼, and NE¼NW¼. T. 17 N., R. 3 W., sec. 3, NW¼; sec. 8, SE¼; sec. 9, all; sec. 10, SW¼SW¼; sec. 13, S½SE¼, SW¼, and W½NW¼; secs. 14 to 16, inclusive; sec. 17, SE¼; sec. 20, E½, and E½W½; sec. 21, all; sec. 22, N½ and NW¼SW¼; sec. 23, N½, and N½S½; sec. 24, NW¼, NE¼SW¼, and N½NE¼; sec. 28, all; sec. 29, E½, and E½W½: sec. 32, N½NE¼; sec. 33, N½, and N½SE¼; sec. 34, NW¼, N½SW¼, SE¼, SE¼NE¼, and W½NE¼. T. 18 N., R. 3 W., sec. 26, N½SE¼, and SW¼; sec. 27, SE¼; sec. 34, NE¼NW¼, S½SW¼, and E½; sec. 35, W½. FRANKLIN D ROOSEVELT The White House, July 13, 1939.