What is a Land Trust?

Anatomy of a Land Trust The idea of a private land trust owning specific scenic or wildlife areas sounds appealing on the surface, but almost all land trusts today are highly political organizations run by ideological, anti-development, anti-farming, anti-living in rural America environmentalist they are activists seeking to impose social controls in order to undermine the private economy and the civil rights of property owners. The land trusts are financially backed by a subclass of wealthy owners pursuing preservation in order to gain financial wealth. The trusts use their politically privileged tax–exempt status and government subsidies your tax dollars to promote and lobby for government ownership or control of vast areas of land, and collaborate with government agencies behind the backs of property owners these property owners are not willing sellers they are targeted for acquisition and land use prohibitions. The trusts act as real estate purchasing agents for government agencies, exploiting the mechanisms of the private free–market by buying up land and flipping it into government ownership and removing it from tax role and any access.

When direct political and government action become too controversial the trusts use their vast wealth to gradually eliminate private property owners from a targeted area over time in a strategy of harassment, flooding, and destruction of neighboring properties. While the local sheriff and Prosecuting Attorney sit idle refusing to enforce laws or ordinances.

Land use controls over private property are relentlessly increased to drive out the remaining owners. Exempt from property taxes themselves, the trusts manipulate the tax code for their own political ends by inducing tax-strapped property owners to sell or donate land in exchange for discriminatory tax breaks available only to those giving up land rights to the ‘non–profit’ trusts. ‘Conservation easements’ ostensive intended to hold development rights typically also grants the trusts enormous privileges to interfere in the private management of the land. Land Trusts buy up huge quantities of land in already strapped small counties thereby sending counties into bankruptcy.

Columbia Land Trust and Ducks Unlimited are some of the wealthiest and most politically powerful land trusts in Washington State and Oregon they have ruined the eco-system, homes, private property, stranded salmon, admitted it and refuse to be accountable. Lower Columbia Fish Recovery Board funds and directs several satellite trusts claiming to represent local people. CLT and DU boast they have a war chest of funds with more money then GOD, to keep law suits in court for years, to buy up land its backers do not want other people to use, and maintain close connections with government agencies where it influences government land acquisition priorities and regulatory controls. CLT, in collaboration with DU, Fish and Wildlife, and Dean Takko Washington Representative have collaborated and set a precedent at the Julia Butler Game Reserve by sheer wearing down of the diking/flood districts the Cathlament area. The County Planning Office and Wahkiakum County Officials have taken the hands off approach.

The destructive acts these NGOs are commencing upon our county and our nation is abominable. We have the opportunity to affect change will you help save private property or will you sit by and say what a terrible thing this is and do nothing. I hope you will try.