Selected Articles from the LAND Newsletter
President's Report
By Richard Volk, LAND President
Now that I have your attention, I want to remind you that December 9th is fast approaching. What is December 9th? That’s the day of our Annual Meeting in Valley City.
In years past we have had some fabulous speakers; people such as Karen Budd-Falen, Wayne Hage, Jim Beers and Robert Brace. Others were Ric Frost, Don Etler of the Iowa Drainage Districts; Rich McEowan, Kansas State University Extension Ag and Law Specialist; Hank Ingram, Esq, Pittsburg Lawyer for the Pennsylvania Landowners Association (He’s practiced before the Supreme Court); and two leaders of national property rights groups: Floy Lilley and Bruce Vincent. Now this year we have another great speaker in Karen Harned. You’ll learn more about her elsewhere in this newsletter. Sooo please take the time and come to the Annual Meeting.
Past President Wes Tossett sent me an article that appeared in the July-August 2003 issue of the Ducks Unlimited magazine. Their Executive Vice President Dan Young has an inaccurate and highly inflammatory article about the accelerated losses of isolated wetlands. He blamed a two-year-old decision by the Supreme Court that said an old mined-out gravel pit in Illinois was not part of the waters of the United States and thus NOT under the protection of the Clean Water Act, the EPA and the Corps of Engineers.
You know in the last two years any decrease in wetlands in North Dakota has solely been because of drought or lack of excess water.
I also remember back in the 1980's when we were in a three-to-five year drought. Everything was dry and the duck hatch was down. Ducks Unlimited issued a national press release that duck hunting may have to be cancelled because of the low numbers of ducks. Of course it was the farmer’s fault that we didn’t get enough water to keep the sloughs full. Isn’t it amazing that since 1993 and the excess rainfall that duck numbers have increased about 130%?
I could go on with more inaccuracies of this organization but I think I'll stop and remind you to mark your calendars for December 9th and come to Valley City and join us for the meeting. You will not be disappointed!!
