Selected Articles from the LAND Newsletter

President's Report - 15 years of LAND

Guest editorial by Wes Tossett

Editor’s Note: No foolin’…..LAND was founded on April 1, 1989. Over fifty of those original members are still active participants in LAND. As LAND’s celebrate this anniversary, we asked Wes Tossett, the first president of LAND, to take a look at the last fifteen years and comment.

Farmers and ranchers were the first conservationists. Later when we heard the definition of an environmentalists we admitted that we had been one of those for a long time, too. After the enviro-extremists ruined their name and reputation, “conservation” has become the new buzz word to cover all sorts of activities; some good and some not so good. A lot of us are becoming increasingly uncomfortable with many things going on as “conservation,” when really they are just plain land control through wildlife management.

It’s not easy taking a stand "against" the environment, conservation or even wildlife. However when you consider that without our stand of defending the greatest document ever conceived by man - the U.S. Constitution - things could and would get out of balance real bad. All we have to do is look at what has happened in other parts of the world, to fully appreciate how fortunate we are but also how precarious we are .

Some have asked "What do you attribute LAND's success to?” Well, without sounding too self righteous, it helps if you have common sense and right on your side! I guess it also comes down to our main mission of educating. We've educated ourselves, each other, our membership, our neighbors, our friends and especially our governments. The ND Legislature recognizes LAND as a credible source of grass roots information, dedicated to protecting this state's revenue generating activities and a group who wants to achieve a balance in the over all frame of private property rights.

Several times, during legislative sessions, I have been awakened early in the morning, by some member of the ag or natural resource committees, asking (telling) me to get the LAND troupes down there that day as bad things legislatively could happen.

Our strong stand against PERPETUAL and all other long term easements, non profit and government acquisition of private property, and the protecting of all options that our private property owners should enjoy is appreciated by most everyone.

With the continued dedication of our directors and all our dues paying members, LAND can continue to be a respected participant in our state, region and national property rights and sound science endeavors.