Posted on 04/13/2014 5:55:42 PM PDT by Texas Fossil
Byers, Texas along the Red River — The BLM stole 140 acres of the Tommy Henderson ranch thirty years ago. They took his land and paid him absolutely nothing. He sued and lost. Now the BLM is using that court case as precedent to do it again. The problem is, the land they want to seize is property that ranchers have a deed for and have paid taxes on for over a hundred years.
The BLM claims that about 90,000 acres (116 miles along the Red River) have never belonged to Texas in the first place. They will seize the land and it will seriously change the boundaries between the two states.
Avulsion versus Accretion
Since 1803 when the Louisiana Purchase was completed, there has been a controversy over the boundary between Oklahoma and Texas. The boundary is supposed to be the vegetation line on the south side of the Red River. But the River has moved over time. The problem is the definition of that boundary line- Oklahoma and Texas each use different semantics to define it. And the BLM is finding ways to use the disputed words to give them the ability to seize the land.
According to the BLM, the Red River is always Accretion (gradual accumulation of sediment) to the south, and always Avulsion (rapid formation of a new river channel) to the north. So according to the BLM, the boundary only moves one direction, never in the direction that favors the ranchers. They are looking to re-draw the entire portion of the Red River boundary. That includes 90,000 acres of land along a 116 mile stretch of the river.
“BLM officials believe they have a responsibility to manage land they believe is federal which includes an estimated 90,000 acres along 116 miles of the Red River. If land is found to be public, BLM officials say they have three options: leave the land open, closed, or open with limitations.” January 2014
Public input ignored?
Land that has been in the families of ranchers is to be seized as “public lands” that would be subject to fees or blocked off entirely from rancher’s use. Or in some cases, moving the boundary line over to Oklahoma, where Texas ranchers can lose their rights to the lands that they have owned for more than a century. The BLM had open meetings back in January to “take input” from the public …but they are moving forward with their plan to seize the land anyway. There was likely never any intention of actually listening to the rancher’s stand.
The taking of property from land owners, the stealing of cattle, all of these things are apparently the modus operandi of the Bureau of Land Management. There are no tortoises involved in this incident, just land-grabbing feds who are intent to take away the property of ranchers that have owned it for hundreds of years. Will it come to armed confrontation as is occurring in Nevada? We don’t know.
Open grazing of cattle has always been a common law right in America. It is time for the American people to rise up against the theft of private lands and property by a government that is out of control. Ranchers have contact Texas Representative Mac Thornberry for assistance. We will monitor this situation as it progresses.
Is it true that the Bureau of Feudal Land Management doesn’t pay state property taxes on the property that it has?
I’ll have to look around for that.
Or how Texas became a sovereign Republic in 1836.
;)
/johnny
Yeh that figures.
At one tme we were hot for this property up in the mountains but a river runs through it and you have to maintain a dam and have inspections and they won’t tell you upfront what you will be required to do in the future so it could end up being like a half million dollars. What a nightmare! I think the place finally went into foreclosure.
This stuff with the woodstoves is the current bug in my bonnet.
If it comes to it this old fossil will be there with you.
Dams are another thing. They’re destroying property values all across the country tearing out dams so the “rivers can run free”.
Yes, think that is true.
Addresses for federal properties don't show up in my county's tax roll.
/johnny
Roger that.
Well things definitely need to change. The EPA needs to go bye bye and the public lands need to be turned over to the states except for the large National Parks. We can get rid of the BLM. It would solve a lot of problems. For one thing we could get rid of a lot of progressive govt employees.
Bump!
OK and TX are brothers in arms. (I am not a sports fan)
Have lived in TX, NM and OK. Loved all 3. No place on earth do I like better than TX, but I lived in OK for 7 years and loved it.
If I could not live in TX, it would be OK.
Don’t pick on old guys. They will surprise you.
I've never lived in OK, but I have lived in NM, and of course, was born here in the Great State of Texas, by the Grace of God.
I'm ok with Oklahoma, especially if the federal servant wants to get into the business of its betters.
/johnny
It is long past time to downsize them. I hope it is not too late in fact.
Still lost to BLM.
It was imperative that they be able to build the tortoise-Forts, and the dock-Yards, and whatnot.
We can’t get the commies out of office fast enough.
This stuff has to stop.
Don’t downsize the Departments.
The Rogue ones need to close. Die a quick death. Including their SWAT TEAMS!
I live in Wichita county TX, and it’s a solid GOP area in every election at every level of government. Many of them are weak, but still it’s not a liberal bastion by any means.
I don’t anticipate that the BLM will fare much better around here than they did in NV.
I’m ready to come to the defense of any rancher here.
I’m also an attorney, but defending the Constitution and our God given rights goes well beyond the courtroom.
While the US cries fowl in the Ukraine the goose steppers running wild in Nevada and Texas. Amazing!!
I think I remember the name Red River Arsenal. If this would change a Texas border, wonder what Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott will do? Seems to me, he would have some authority to investigate this and take on Hussein and Holder again.
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