Some Oregon Farmers Embrace Land Buy-Out Plan (Klamath Basin)

Reuters ^ | 9/07/01 | Bruce Olson

[tophat9000]

Environmentalists plan all along

[hedgetrimmer]

Ping

[swheats]

Can this buyout be legit considering the farmers and landowners signed under duress? It appears that the American Land Conservancy and Kerr-ONRC were in the midst with buyout agreements before anyone realized how detrimental the decisions from the court were.

[mfulstone]

[brat]

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!You will be letting the tyranny WIN if you cave in! Don't do it!

[tbeatty]

I'm not sure I understand why this is bad. This SHOULD be the way the Endangered Species Act works (albeit the Feds should be buying land instead of this "Land Conservancy" group). Just like they do when they build a freeway or take any other land.

[farmfriend]

Do you have your flame proof suit on?

[farmfriend]

Klamath Basin Crisis bump list forming.

[tbeatty]

LOL. No. I really don't know this issue. I was always under the impression that the ESA was most cruel because it didn't compensate land owners for reducing it's value.

I can understand why people wouldn't want to move or change their livelyhood but it has to be better than starved out of land without anything. The government is taking something from these farmers and they should compensate them fairly for it.

[oceanperch]

Govt has a right to erect a freeway near and over Govt. housing if passed by a board or voted on.
But where does that right other than the 6ft county lee way does the Govt. have a right to take private land that is in good standing?

[farmfriend]

,i>The government is taking something from these farmers and they should compensate them fairly for it.

We don't need to compansate the farmers. We need to get the government to quit taking. The environmentalists who start this with law suits don't care who buys the land, they just want the farmers off. There is a thread that explains this. Let me go look and I'll be back.

[Archie Bunker on steroids]

The land they are talking about is in Swan Lake - about 12 miles east of Klamath falls. The farmers of Swan Lake are not part of the Klamath project.

The largest land owner in the area hosted a church picnic on his property two weeks ago and gave me all of the details. Four other area farmers were with him. They all want to sell and have wanted to sell for 20 years. Their profits have not increased and operating costs have tripled.

Their land will be flooded and the reservoir will link to the Lost River which will hit the A,B,&C canals. These people have not been forced to sell. This may actually be a good thing. The Swan Lake farmers can sell - like they've wanted to. The remaining farmers in the Klamath Basin will have access to more water.

If this thing goes off.

Bunker.

[swheats]

tbeatty, I believe it's deeper than just the government coming in and committing a "taking". This, from all that I've read, seems to be an action used by environmentalist to secure the farming property of those who are willing to sell for environmental special projects such as growing hemp. I'm sure there are others who are able to provide great links for background.