Don't forget water rights. That's really what triggered Bundy to tear up his contract. The condition for him to get a new contract was give up water rights and agree to graze no more than 150 head of cattle, and no grazing in the spring. He knew a crooked deal when he saw it. The water alone would have killed him. Now the BLM is trying to move to take over the Red River on the border of OK/TX. They want the water. And that land is PRIVATELY owned.
My family owns property in Washington state that is on a major waterway. We've suspected all along that they were going to try to seize it because of the proximity to the river. Now I'm certain of it.
Nope - haven't forgotten at all, just failed to list it. I have friends in Nevada that had a throwdown with the feds in court and as it turned out the reason a grab was made for their ranch was water for Las Vegas. The same tactics were used on them as was on the Bundys - BLM stormtroopers with body armor and automatic weapons showed up and stole their livestock, menaced the family and so forth. They fought tooth and nail in court - which was no doubt a surprise to the feds since they thought they would win by attrition - and won their case. Kept the ranch, all the sub-surface rights and landed a large monetary settlement. But I learned last week at a meeting that they had lost the money on appeal, which was no surprise to me really. The government appealed a case to themselves, so what other result could you expect. Under normal circumstances, like how America was in the not-so distant past, I would be relieved at their good fortune, but with the rampant government lawlessness we have these days, all bets are off. I fear that if this D.C./Nevada axis rolls right over the Bundys and gets away with it, they will no doubt be emboldened to re-visit their past failed conquests with a vengeance.