Selected Articles from the LAND Newsletter
CREP PROGRAM JUST THE BEGINNING OF MORE LAND GRABS
By Bob Lebacken, LAND Director
The Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program, or CREP as it is known, has been in the news of late. This is a program that funds with the combination of federal and state dollars to enhance what is deemed to be sensitive areas for conservation, wetland restoration, buffer strips and the like. Hunting, fishing and other outdoor recreation activities are an important part of our heritage and economy, but when is enough, enough?
I think it is important to understand what is happening before it is too late. This looks somewhat like the CRP program, also well intended. In reality, this program has become a retirement plan for some who enroll land into this program, then leave the farm. Instead, it should have been limited to only the most sensitive land, and only in small tracts, not large acreage all in one tract. It has been estimated by NDSU that this program has cost ND 36 million a year in lost financial revenue. Drive to areas that have large acreages enrolled in this program, and see the detriment to the small communities and farms in the area. Agriculture related revenue is lost, and the economics of survival for these towns and farms are gone. Some would argue that hunting and other recreation will take the place, but that is not enough to take the place of agriculture revenue and activity.
This is what I see happening with the CREP program. In some ways it is worse. This program promotes the use of perpetual easements along with longer-term easements. I want to stress, NEVER sign a perpetual easement. Why do I have the right to take away landownership from the next generation? How do we know that 50 years from now, the very survival of this country may depend on it’s own ability to produce enough food for it’s own citizens. Look what environmentalist extremists have done to our oil industry! I believe no easement should be for more than 10 years. The same crowd that complains about deficits and out migration of our state’s population promotes these programs. Tell a young person he can farm 45 years from now, when the easement expires as stated in the agreement with the MN program, and see how many young people stay to wait for that to happen. I would caution any landowner against signing into such an agreement. If this land is to be enrolled, it should at least be able to be hayed, grazed or other agriculture activity allowed. This would be good for all interests.
I would also like to encourage property owners to join our organization called LAND. It is celebrating its 15th anniversary, and is growing every year. If you are concerned about property rights, contact LAND at www.ndland.org
Editor’s Note: This is the first in a series of letters to the editor.
