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Agricultural land is extremely vulnerable to condemnation by government entities under the guise of economic development, said American Farm Bureau Federation President Bob Stallman, during testimony before a joint Oklahoma state house/senate task force.
The U.S. Supreme Court earlier this summer ruled land can be confiscated for economic benefit, in its landmark case of Kelo v. the City of New London, Conn. AFBF is encouraging state Farm Bureaus to lead urban and rural property owners to support changes in state laws that remedy this problem. For that reason, a Stop Taking Our Property (STOP) initiative was rolled out recently by AFBF, Stallman said.
"By holding that the U.S. Constitution does not forbid the use of eminent domain to take private property and give it to another party for its own private economic gain, the Supreme Court has essentially put all of our property up to the highest bidder," Stallman told the senators.
Agricultural lands, especially those in expanding urban areas, provide a ready source for potential shopping malls, industrial parks and housing complexes. Condemnation of this land also results in farmland that has been in a family for several generations simply being taken away, Stallman said.
In the Supreme Court ruling, the court said the Constitution allows states and local governments to take private property for economic development projects, but the court also said that states can enact laws disallowing the taking of private property for economic benefit. Passage of a state law to limit the use of eminent domain is what the Oklahoma Farm Bureau and AFBF are supporting.
Stallman said AFBF saw a major need to initiate the STOP campaign to assist Farm Bureaus to overcome the effects of Kelo. Many states are similar to Oklahoma in not currently protecting residents against use of eminent domain for economic gain by local governments.
In wrapping up his testimony, Stallman said, "The solution lies in your hands and other state legislatures around the country."
Texas' livestock health officials are working to accommodate the evacuation of livestock from Louisiana and Mississippi, displaced due to Hurricane Katrina.
The Texas Animal Health Commission (TAHC) will allow livestock from these states to enter Texas without the usually required health documents, provided the owners or shippers alert the animal health agency prior to crossing the state line.
Owners and shippers from Louisiana and Mississippi are asked to call the TAHC 24-hour number at 1-800-550-8242 and provide information regarding the species, numbers and destination of the animals. A permit number will be issued to the caller, and TAHC field personnel will follow up to verify the arrival of the animals and to address any pertinent restriction or test requirements.
As part of its emergency management effort, the TAHC also maintains a list of facilities, farm or stables, whose owners have volunteered to provide temporary shelter for livestock. Callers who need a referral to a site should call the TAHC number and leave a message for the regulatory veterinarian on call.
Dairy cattle evacuated to Texas without a cattle tuberculosis (TB) test must be isolated from other cattle and meet entry requirements upon arrival.
The Texas Animal Health Commission has secured another $500,000 from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to support Texas' quest to regain cattle tuberculosis (TB) -free status, lost in 2002.
The state is addressing cattle TB with a five-pronged program that has included testing of dairy, purebred and seedstock herds. More than 335,000 cattle in the state's 812 dairies were tested last year. As of late August, TB tests also have been conducted on more than 1,300 of the 2,400 targeted purebred herds in Texas.
"We've completed the dairy herd testing and have passed the halfway point for testing purebred and seedstock herds," said Dr. Dee Ellis, who heads up TAHC field operations. "More than 750 of these have been tested since late April, when herds were randomly selected for the disease surveillance. We plan to complete the remainder of the testing of the randomly selected herds before the end of the year. Volunteers still are welcome to have their purebred or seedstock herds tested. Accredited private veterinarians who are TB-certified conduct the testing on a `fee-basis' reimibursement, which covers the cost of the test, so ranchers do not have out-of-pocket expenses."
Ellis said testing dairies, purebred and seedstock herds so far has resulted in finding and depopulating only one infected herd, a dairy, in 2003.
Only Texas and Michigan currently do not have the coveted TB-free status. Texas earned TB-free status in 2000, with the exception of dairies in the El Paso Milk Shed, which have been purchased by the USDA and are being depopulated. In 2002, Texas lost its status after two TB-infected cattle herds were detected. Michigan, Ellis explained, is coping with cattle TB infection in wildlife, and officials examine hunter-killed deer and require yearly TB tests on cattle herds in affected areas.
For more information regarding TB testing of purebred and beef seed stock herds in Texas, please contact your TAHC area office or the TAHC headquarters in Austin at 1-800-550-8242.
" We will need an unlimited amount of government and private assistance before this is over, and it will take a long time. Thank you to all the other Farm Bureaus for their offers of help. It is truly heartwarming to be a part of this great organization."
—Jim Monroe, assistant to Louisiana Farm Bureau President Ronnie Anderson, expressing gratitude for the relief funds that have been set up for those impacted by Hurricane Katrina and the outpouring of concern from others in the Farm Bureau family.
