ISSUES POLICY
TSCRA Opposes BLM’s Attempt to Take Private Property Along Red River
By Jason Skaggs, TSCRA executive director of government and public affairs T
HERE IS A STANDOFF HAPPENING BETWEEN LANDOWNERS and the federal government on the Red River. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is claiming
that approximately 90,000 acres of private property could belong to the federal government. This directly affects a number of landowners. And
if the BLM goes through with its plans, it could set a dangerous precedent that the federal government can take whatever they want whenever they want it. The Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Associa-
tion (TSCRA), along with the help of other landowner organizations, members of Congress, and other elected offi cials are determined to not let that happen. The BLM has made it known to many landowners
that it may conduct a cadastral survey along a 116- mile stretch of the Red River to determine whether that land actually belongs to the federal government. TSCRA believes that it doesn’t. First, even though
the BLM has control over public and tribal lands on the Oklahoma side of these 116 miles, it should have no claim to the land on the Texas side. The BLM claims this land may belong to the fed-
eral government even though it has been owned and managed by private property owners for generations. Landowners hold deeds to these lands and they’ve regularly paid taxes on the property. If the BLM does survey the land, and the land is
made public, that property would most likely be opened up for public access and recreation.
104 The Cattleman June 2014 Although the BLM has not yet made any public de-
cisions whether it will move forward with a survey, it did hold public meetings, one of which was in Wichita Falls. As part of these meetings, TSCRA submitted public comments opposing the agency’s efforts. U.S. Representative Mac Thornberry sent a letter to
the BLM requesting that it not move forward with the survey, specifi cally citing case law that reinforces that the BLM has not, and should not, have any legitimate claim to private land on the Texas side of the border that extends any further than the gradient boundary and/ or the vegetation line on the south bank of the river. Representative Thornberry, U.S. Senators John
Cornyn and Ted Cruz, and a number of other mem- bers of the Texas congressional delegation have fi led amendments to the federal appropriations bill that, if passed, would defund the BLM’s ability to move forward with this effort. And Attorney General Greg Abbott is attempting to seek answers regarding the BLM’s intentions and legal authority with respect to Texas private property. This is a critical issue for all landowners in Texas,
not just those along the Red River. TSCRA is working closely with federal, state and local elected offi cials to stop this. We will continue to keep you informed and play an active role in opposing the BLM’s efforts to take private property along the Red River. For more information on this, including a TSCRA Fact Sheet, go to
tscra.org.
thecattlemanmagazine.com
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