American Land Rights Associations' Main Constituency Groups and Major Issues They are Facing Today.

 

Private Property The 5th Amendment of the Constitution guarantees "...private property [shall not] be taken for public use without just compensation." And yet, government regulations curtail the use of our private property, essentially "taking" it from our control and benefit. There are many horror stories about governmental agencies dictating to citizens and infringing on their private property rights.
Inholders
An "inholder" is someone who owns private property or some other equity interest inside or adjacent to a Federally managed area like a National Park, National Forest, or Refuge.
Ranchers with
Grazing Permits
Individuals who hold permits to graze within federally-controlled lands. The permit is for access to the land only - individual ranchers must make range improvements such as roads, fences and water developments. The water is owned privately under state law. The ranchers have many privately owned rights on federal land under federal law such as ditches and rights-of-way. There is a difference between what a federal land rancher pays as a grazing fee to the federal government and what a private land rancher charges to graze his private lands. While the federal land rancher gets nothing but the land for his fee, the private land fee includes the water and improvements, fences, roads, chutes, and sometimes, even management of the herds.
Permittees
People who hold "permits" for cabins within federally-controlled, public land, usually in National Forests. These permits allow access only - the individual must finance and build the cabin, provide water, electrical and other utilities, plus maintain any road that is needed for access. Access is limited depending on weather conditions, thus limiting the access to fair-weather months.
Forestry
There are many organizations and industry associations that deal with forestry issues. Thousands of people, especially in the West, have been put out of work with the curtailment and/or elimination of logging on National Forests. Private property timber owners have had incredible restrictions put on them, effectively "taking" the property through regulations. At ALRA, we work to assist these organizations and follow legislation as it deals with access to federally-controlled lands.
Endangered
Species Act

Perhaps more than any other single law, the ESA has impacted private property and resource providers, especially in the rural West. The over-zealous preservationists movement has used this law to close businesses, stop resource development across whole regions, and even to "take" private property. They seek to remove PEOPLE from the environmental equation and to remove humanity from the land, placing us in the concrete jungles only.
Mining
There are many organizations and industry associations that deal with mining issues. At ALRA, we work to assist these organizations and individual miners on mining issues.

For More Information Contact:
American Land Rights Association
Tel: 360-687-3087 - FAX: 360-687-2973

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