Conservation easement: land grabs that must be suspended

President Trump is moving forward at full speed to expose and halt the deep state's willingness to destroy free businesses, private property and limited government American culture. For more than 30 years, climate change and environmental protection have lied to fool Americans into giving up their freedom. American farmland continues to exist as one of the main targets on the agenda, as more land is exposed to the acquisition of prominent domains by private developers.

However, there are self-appointed heroes who are rushing to rescue farmers. Private non-governmental trust in lands strikes farmers and ensures that their lands are saved and protected. The tool they chose? Conservation easement! Advocates stated, “Conservation easements are voluntary, enduring agreements that restrict non-agricultural uses such as mining and large-scale residential and commercial development.” They said, “land owners own the land. We boldly promote easements by committing to “continuing to live and use.” They even promise that they can pass the land to their heirs along with generous tax credits. What do you not like? A hopeless peasant flocks to the pitchman's wagon to buy potions that save his life.

The farmers must do everything, promise trust in the land, sign such easements controlled by them, and the developer cannot take the land. If it is politically correct, then the promise to save the family farm is unfolding to avoid the tongues of the pitchman in the land trust, so “God's Blessing America” ​​actually plays in the background. You may actually hear it. But as HL Mencken once warned, “The plan to save humanity is mostly a false aspect of the impulse that rules,” or another famous pitchman, Pt Barnum, once said, “Every minute sucker.” was born.” Farmers, beware of smooth speakers who have the answer to your anguish. His answer may be your end mise – and your farm. It is wise to read detailed printings of the Conservation Easement Agreement.

Here are some facts. In a typical conservation easement, a private land trust purchases some or all of the rights of the property owners who manage the land. This gives the trust of the land the ability of the owner to overturn the owner's choice, such as banning new buildings or renovating old buildings. It also includes controlling which fields can be used to plant, which crops can be grown and how to grow. This comes from the environmental protection agenda that all land trusts follow. “Sustainable” is the rule for any decision. It all comes to his new partner, the land trust, as the farmer “permanently” signs easements and “permanently” controls the “eternally” easements. Because it is legally subordinated.

Before signing a conservation easement, the owner must ask some very specific questions, and either get some satisfactory answers from the land trust or run in the opposite direction. Good!

The first question is: If a farmer owns the land and doesn't want to sell it, why is he not allowed to just say no and live in peace? It's his land.

The answer believes that local governments are obligated to follow appointed committees, unelected local councils and land trust directions to develop a comprehensive development plan to prepare for future growth. That means he fell into a trap. This means that future growth includes the need to set up wind and solar farms, carbon capture pipelines, or large data centers covering multiple lands. Once a comprehensive plan is in place, all you need is an order signed by a prominent domain. It's all for the common good! Individual property rights are no longer conservation easements or not.

Second question: Why does the land trust want to pay to control my land? Where did that money come from, and what does trust in the land gain from the purchase? Conservation easements are beneficial products for land trusts. The farmer must sign one agreement that means forever the land that has become an easement “forever,” but such control does not apply to land trust. They are free to buy and sell and trade the trust of the land with other such organizations, or even with the federal government. Your conservation easement will be the Land Trusts Profit Center.

Third question: If land trust is concerned with protecting agriculture, what did they do to alleviate these real pressures of government seizing? there is nothing. The real purpose of conservation easements is to act as a tool, first stealing land, then pushing local residents from the land into the city, and to control energy use, development and population. It's about living under. That's how land trust can help with the false climate change agenda.

Conservation easements are nothing more than grabs of land, promoted through the dreaded tactics of losing land unless the farmers follow. In fact, if you follow, it is when you lose the land. With conservation easements in place, the market value of the land will be worthless. There is nothing left in your family as easements remain forever.

What should honest local governments do to protect farmers and the agricultural industry? Conservation easements should not be issued permanently. Instead, if it was issued at all, they should have some form of opt-out for either party – perhaps five years later. In that era, property owners can fully test whether it is a desirable situation. Otherwise, the farmer will regain full control of his property.

Among other things, the main consideration under such policies is that the ownership of private property and its inherent rights have not been denied or sacrificed. The rights to private property are the most important of all American rights. Without the right to stand on our own property, it is very difficult to declare our first, second or fourth amendment rights.

Rancher Wayne Hage famously said when the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) fought war with his property rights, “Do you have the right to own and control private property? It's a property.”

Finally, some action has been taken to stop theft. President Donald Trump signed a memorandum on February 6th ordering a review of funding for non-governmental organizations (NGOs) that receive money from federal agencies. It must include the practices of land trusts and its conservation easements. President Trump is determined to protect the rights of all Americans in the face of a deep nation that seeks to destroy and control us.

Appropriately, some state legislatures are finally beginning to take action to protect farmers. In Montana, state Sen. Tony Tezac introduced Senate Bill 209, limiting the duration of his state's conservation easement, failing to “permanently” easement. Specifically, Section 4 of the bill states that “conservation easements may be granted over a period of more than 15 years, or less than 40 years.” It will give all parties, including the landowner, enough time to decide whether it is a viable plan. Otherwise, they can be pulled out to protect the ownership and control of the family.

However, the bill was drawn by Senator Tezak after the land trust ran into a legislative hearing to declare that the bill undermines property rights. Some property owners were misdirected to believe that the trust in the land was their friend and were standing with them against the bill. It's an interesting tack considering that it's conservation easements that are the real threat. Local government representatives must be aware of the relentless drives by these green troops who refuse to retreat.

Not relevant; The Montana bill was well written and provided a reasonable approach to easement threat. It should still function as a model law other states should follow. However, in order to succeed in protecting property rights, they must have a strong backbone to confront the power of land trusts.

I have been in this battle for over 40 years. I held my hand and shared the tears of many Americans who were victims of these and other oppressive government policies and who decided on NGO groups. A property owner who wants to save his land should not be punished by the very program he wanted to help protect it.

Tom Dews is one of the nation's leading supporters of personal freedom, free enterprise, private property rights, personal privacy, basic education, and American sovereignty and independence. He serves as the founder and president of the American Policy Center and editor of Dews Report.