Sunday, February 24, 2013

The Federal Government Just Doesn't Get It: The Land Belongs To The People!

Listen to what a Forest Service supervisor had to say in 2005, just five years ago, regarding his mistaken belief that the Forest Service "owns" the land it manages:

Over the years line officers and others have received requests for assistance [sic] someone in perfecting claims to title on National Forest System (NFS) lands. In other words, to use agency personnel time, funds, and resources to perfect someone's claim to the public's lands--NFS lands. These requests can range from small and simple to quite complex. Either way they can involve serious legal ramifications.

Enclosed is a 1-page briefing paper—"Community Land Grant Claims & Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo­ Forest Service Actions" of March 11, 2005. It contains some background on this subject and reminders of our obligation to protect title to NFS lands.

Under "Current Status" the Briefing Paper had this to say:

Debate on this matter has intensified significantly with the release of a relatively recent General Accounting Office report …The following key points need to be kept in mind:

The Forest Service job is to protect and manage NFS lands, and to defend US title and rights to the land–not to assist in efforts that intend to undermine US title/rights.

This information is identified in my book, Trespassers on Our Own Land, under "Notes" as follows:

OVER THE YEARS LINE OFFICERS AND OTHERS HAVE RECEIVED REQUESTS FOR ASSISTANCE [sic]: The letter, dated March 26, 2005, was sent with a March, 2005 Briefing Paper to the Forest Supervisor(s) of the Carson National Forest, Cibola National Forest and the Santa Fe National Forest; Subject: Land Claims & Forest Service Actions—Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. It was signed: H. Wayne Thornton, Director, Lands and Minerals and had the March 2005 Briefing Paper as an "Enclosure;" copies were sent to: District Rangers-NMex & AZ, Forest Supervisors-NMex & AZ, Dir. Of Range Mgt-R3, Dir. Of Lands-WO, Mary Ann Joca-OGC, Jim Snow-OGC, Dir. Of PAO-R3. The last paragraph of the letter states: The enclosed briefing paper provides a clear framework for our actions in the management and protection of NFS lands.
 

3 comments:

  1. Interesting topic. I wonder how my real estate lawyer looks at this. She is an expert at this sort of thing. I agree that people should own the land though and not the government.

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  2. Thank you for your comment Gerald.Sorry I did not respond sooner.

    Mike

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  3. Interesting. There are many individuals and entities claiming "ownership" of NFS lands for various reasons not only in New Mexico but other parts of the country. Probably the most active has been on the Lincoln NF, particularly the Southern Sacramento Mountains. Currently on the Cloudcroft Ranger District. Interesting as it has on occasion involved County Commissioners siding with ranchers claiming some sort of title to the National Forest. The Alamogordo daily News has recorded the efforts of some ranchers to lay claim to parts of the Lincoln National Forest.

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