Bob Lebacken letter: Protect land from 'the wetland god'

Once again, farmers are experiencing another late, wet spring. What started out so promising is now turning into another challenging spring for planting.

In the event of preventive plant or drown out, and if it is too late to reseed, it may be wise to plant these areas to some kind of forage that not only uses up some moisture, but also to turn residue back into the ground this fall.

Another reason to help protect landowners from the scorn of the "wetland god" that has an unqualified authority to determine that some of your land is now classified as a wetland and may alter your farming practices. If you have green forage growing, it should keep the "eye in the sky" from determining problem areas. It goes without saying that over 10 years of consistent wet weather may even qualify gravel roads as wetlands.

This process goes against the 5th Amendment to the Constitution that states no property can be taken without due compensation. Granted, the land may not be taken away, but if you are told that it is reclassified and you are not free to farm it as you wish and farm it to the best of your ability to be the most efficient, then to me this is government overstepping its authority.

This would be a process that government agencies declaring areas to be a wetland and then claiming them as a public resource. It is just another way that government, environmental extremists, tree huggers and certain wildlife groups use to control land without purchasing the property.

The use of extortion if one does not comply is threatened via the farm program payments. This is a clear case of the politicians selling out private property rights. Home owners, how would you like it if the government said you could not fill in the pot hole in your driveway or the low spot in your back yard that drowns out your grass and harbors mosquitoes? Think about it.

This is a suggestion, and if you have any questions on property rights, contact the LAND organization and consider a membership. Contact LAND at www.ndland.org .

Bob Lebacken

Reynolds, N.D.