Land News
Farmland is an essential resource for American agriculture. As stewards of the land, farmers and ranchers strive to maximize per-acre value while prioritizing soil health, water conservation and wildlife management. A key indicator of the financial health of the farm sector, farmland values can be influenced by commodity prices, land quality and other factors.
Willie Benedetti says he is within his rights to retire and build a house for his son. Marin County officials say otherwise.
A phantom frog has spurred the Supreme Court to address Weyerhaeuser v. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and determine if the government can aim at private land anywhere in the United States and pull the Endangered Species Act (ESA) trigger, regardless of owner protest and absence of the targeted species.
California producer John Duarte’s settlement brings no clarity on Clean Water Act
Pipelines and agriculture are a contentious pair, with a growing number of farmers raising concerns over soil health, drainage issues, and responses from oil and gas companies.
Edward Poitevent is at the mercy of an invisible frog. He has lost private property rights on 1,500 acres to a frog species that will never live on his land and doesn’t live in his state. The Endangered Species Act (ESA) is shackled to a litany of odd cases, but Poitevent’s battle with a $34-million frog may rank as the most bizarre of the lot.
John Duarte’s five-year legal nightmare ended Aug. 15, with over $1 million in total penalties. Duarte couldn’t evade the iron hand of the Clean Water Act.
Cooperation between agriculture and archaeology vital to preserve American Indian history
Agriculture-archaeological relationships, once tainted by mutual suspicion, are protecting the past and allowing farmland to serve as a vast repository for history.
When city expansion nibbles around the edges of an operation with an inch to a mile appetite, erosion of landowner will is often the tacit intention. However, legacy and livelihood are a wedded pair for many producers.