Executive Order 9526—Amending Certain Executive and Public Land Orders Withdrawing Public Lands for Purposes Incident to the National Emergency and the Prosecution of the War

Whereas by certain Executive and Public Land orders more than 13,000,000 acres of public lands have been withdrawn and reserved for the use of the military and other branches of the Federal Government for purposes incident to the various phases of the national emergency and the prosecution of the war; and

Whereas immediately prior to the issuance of such orders various Executive departments and independent agencies of the Federal Government had primary jurisdiction over, interests in, needs and uses for, or administration of, certain portions of such public lands; and

Whereas because of the findings of necessity for the emergency use of such lands, the jurisdiction over, interests in, needs and uses for, and administration of those lands by such departments and agencies were subordinated to such emergency use; and

Whereas it is and has been the intention, as expressed in most of the orders, that after the termination of the emergency, the public lands should be returned to the jurisdiction, uses, and administration which existed prior to the withdrawal and reservation of such lands for purposes incident to the national emergency and the prosecution of the war; and

Whereas it is appropriate that, in future determinations of the public purposes for which such lands shall be used, reserved, or administered after the emergency, those departments and agencies of the Federal Government which had prior jurisdiction over, interests in, or administration of such lands should have restored to them such jurisdiction over, interests in, or administration of the lands as existed prior to the withdrawal and reservation of the lands for purposes incident to the national emergency and the prosecution of the war:

Now, Therefore, by virtue of the authority vested in me as the President of the United States as set forth in the orders hereinafter enumerated, it is ordered as follows:

The Executive orders and Public Land orders hereinafter enumerated, withdrawing and reserving public lands for uses incident to the national emergency and the prosecution of the war, are hereby amended by adding to each of the said orders the following paragraph:

"The jurisdiction granted by this order shall cease at the expiration of the six months' period following the termination of the unlimited national emergency declared by Proclamation No. 2487 of May 27, 1941 (55 Stat. 1647). Thereupon, jurisdiction over the lands hereby reserved shall be vested in the Department of the Interior, and any other department or agency of the Federal Government according to their respective interests then of record. The lands, however, shall remain withdrawn from appropriation as herein provided until otherwise ordered."

Executive Order Numbers: 8101, 8102, 8305, 8325, 8343, 8450, 8507, 8508, 8577, 8578, 8579, 8636, 8651, 8652, 8725, 8755, 8788, 8789, 8792, 8793, 8794, 8830, 8831, 8847, 8865, 8872, 8874, 8877, 8884, 8892, 8915, 8923, 8927, 8932, 8954, 8957, 8992, 8999, 9000, 9014, 9019, 9020, 9026, 9029, 9042, 9053, 9081, 9086, 9104, 9107, 9109, 9114, 9143, 9215.

Public Land Order Numbers: 1, 3, 4, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 13, 15, 16, 18, 21, 22, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 31, 33, 34, 35, 37, 39, 40, 43, 44, 50, 51, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 62, 63, 64, 66, 72, 74, 75, 76, 80, 81, 83, 85, 87, 88, 89, 90, 93, 94, 97, 98, 105, 109, 110.

Any provision in any of the orders hereinabove enumerated which is in conflict with this order is hereby superseded to the extent of such conflict: Provided, however, That any" provision for the earlier return of jurisdiction over the public lands in any of said orders shall remain operative.

FRANKLIN D ROOSEVELT

The White House,
February 28, 1945.