LAND enjoyed a good annual meeting at Steele this year. Thank you to all who attended; I hope you enjoyed the speakers and fellowship and left with information to help you defend your property rights.

As of the end of the Annual Meeting, my two year term as President of LAND has come to an end. I want to thank everyone who made the two years so very enjoyable. I wish Richard Volk all the success and encouragement in his efforts as the new President.

As I leave office, I am somewhat troubled by sentiments I am hearing in the ag community. It is not uncommon to hear farmers say, "We might as well get used to working with the environmentalists, they are here to stay." I have no qualms about working with legitimate groups who have farmers' and ranchers' best interests at heart. My concern is working with groups that have demonstrated they are no more than economic terrorists, as Ron Arnold has stated in his book "Undue Influence". These groups are not guided by scientific fact, they use fear to accomplish their goals and will not stop until farmers are pushed off their land.

Remember when the wetland battle first emerged in the 60's? Wetlands were the battleground. Now the groups that worked so hard to secure control of wetlands are claiming they also control buffer strips of 100' to 500' around each wetland. What will their next taking be.

Ronald Reagan would not negotiate with terrorists. Farmers need to adopt the same policy. The America I grew up in said if you wanted something you paid for it. If you couldn't afford what you wanted, you worked, saved and then purchased that item. That is the American way. If wacko environmentalists want our wetlands and buffer strips, they can pay for them.

I heard a profound statement from a retired military pilot. He said in reference to the terrorist attacks, "the cost of liberty is eternal vigilance". LAND works to be a vigilant organization to secure our property rights. With the continued support of our members, LAND will work with due diligence for the rights of farmers and ranchers in North Dakota.