I suspect that some bureaucrat coveted the property, either for themselves or for a crony or there is some personal pique against the Sacketts.
The EPA is part of the communists takeover of America. (Getting tired of “communists” yet? Then better wake up)
I’ve posted this advice before, but it fits this thread too.
If you own land and are thinking of building, there are a few steps you need to take first.
1. Kill everything living there; dispose of remains off-site.
2. Fill in everything that ever looked like a mud puddle.
3. Kill/remove all moisture loving plant life. Wetlands vegetation is the kiss of death.
4. If there is a perched water table (clay layer near the surface which slows or prevents surface water from percolating into the substrata) punch lots of holes through it and fill them with gravel for easy drainage.
5. Be prepared for some minor official to tell you “sorry, your land is designated on the wetlands map” and to pay lots of money to challenge the map.
Normally I’d say check the map first, but any questions about it puts you on their radar screen, maybe before you can correct the “deficiencies”.
If this is the story I remember from previous postings here, the guy is a sophisticated developer who knows the rules and chose to ignore them. And the writer is either ignorant of wetland rules or is deliberately spinning the story.
The EPA rules are irrational, but blame congress for that. It needs a political fix, not judicial activism.
This is going to be one of these pivotal cases. If the EPA claims to have jurisdiction over who gets to build where based on waterways and wetlands, then they needs to have a defined permitting process just like local agencies have. Make everyone deal with them, then if they start getting out of control there will be political pressure to correct it. As it is, it will take “Ruby Ridge” style confrontations with the EPA to draw attention to the abuse.
Their land, purchased for $23,000, is about two-thirds of an acre and is about 500 feet from Priest Lake, Idaho.
But while they were working on foundation preparations, the EPA agents arrived, claimed the property is “wetlands” and ordered them to stop work and launch a full restoration project that even included installing plants that were not native – at their own expense. They were told after they guarded the land for several years they would be allowed to pay $250,000 to request permission to complete their home.
“Yes we have too much government. Take the Sackett family in Priest Lake, Idaho. With a growing family and a good job, they purchased a building lot in an exiting subdivision. The lot was surrounded by 3 other homes; and seemed like the perfect place to build their new home needed for a growing family. This was a routine experience that many American families go through. Routine until the heavy hand of the EPA got involved.”