Preserving the Range, Potecting Land Rights #AFP08

Bill Smith, ARRA Editor: In our century, property rights have come under direct attack from the environmental movement whose clear agenda is to transfer control of America's resources from private individuals to government and collectivist causes. This would be the death of our independence, our liberty and the American vision of freedom. "Stewards of the Range" was created in 1992 to pursue precedent setting litigation and to teach America's landowners how to defend and restore full respect for private property rights in America. They are actively committed to restore full respect for and compliance with property rights and constitutional principles. In doing so, we hope to return this nation to one grounded in the principles of freedom.

Today, at the AFP Defending the American Dream Summit, we met Fred Kelly Grant a very interesting character who may also be one of the best defendants of protecting the right of land owners against government agencies restricting or taking away ranch and farm owner's property rights. Margaret Byfield, secretary for Stewards of the Range said, "Mr. Grant is arguably one of the movement’s best strategist, drawing upon his vast experience working in and out of government, from Chief of the Organized Crime in Baltimore Maryland, to the Governors Office in Idaho. Few people know more about the structure of local government than Grant, and his expertise has helped local organizations and individuals develop strategies that have stopped the erosion of private property in communities across the nation."

Grant addressed the need for involvement by local government has the responsibility to protect the local tax base, value of private property, economic stability, well being of the school system and, in general, the well-being of the local community. Congress has provided for the involvement of local authority in every federal use statute passed over the past 35 years. Grant said, "In many of these statutes, Congress has mandated that the federal land use agencies 'coordinate' their policies and management activities with local government. Coordination means the federal agencies shall give prior notice to the local government of agency plans and management activities and, among other criteria, requires that the agency make their policies and management activities. Congress has directed the federal agencies to coordinate with local government because they recognize that local authority must be consulted and involved in the decision making process above and before the public input process. In summary, using the Congressional mandate of "coordination is a way to bring the decision making process back to the local level."

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Tags: government programs, imminent domain, land, land rights, property rights, public use, US Congress, Bill Smith To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!