Referring to grazing leases as “cowboy welfare” demonstrates that you are completely biased and don’t know WTF you’re talking about. I leased 6 quarters of land (bid on at a public auction), bought a dozer, spent all winter clearing fence lines, worked my guts out fencing through the muskeg and beaver dams, burned a bunch more deisel discing down the fence lines, and then over the next few years spent >$50 000 on clearing brush, discing, grass seed, burning piles, re-piling, etc. You may want to do a little researching before putting all lease holders in the same basket. There are some that inherited 10 000 acres of lease and are making a bundle off the surface rent, but most lease holders work hard to maintain the productivity and receive no surface rent.
Also, grazing leases are traded on the open market and sell for what ever the market will bear. I don’t know why everyone is so against that.
Coal companies, oil companies, camp grounds, golf courses, ski resorts, sawmills, etc are all making money of crown land and I don’t hear any of them referred to as welfare recipients.
I gave my lease to my brother, in case anyone is wondering how many millions of dollars I made off my investment.
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We talk so much about leaving a better planet to our kids, that we forget to leave better kids to our planet.
Gerry Burnie
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