What has happened to America?

[Jogeephus]

Three years ago, I was washing a well down for the cows. A government official called the house and upset my wife and wanted me to call him. After calling him, I was informed that I was not a licensed well driller and could not drill wells on my own property. Also, I could not drill a well within 100 yards of a livestock operation. To make a long story short, I paid for a permit and he left me alone. Later I spoke to the head of this agency and my representative and he was wrong. (I could not do this for the public but can do it for myself) Anyway, he is now without his position and I figured the problem left with him.

The last few weeks I have been digging a pond. Got permission from the NRCS (SCS) to dig the pond but was told I could not fill the wetland area near the pond but would have to move the dirt to dry land. Again, I got permission to use the dirt to fill in an area I was going to put in grass. SCS suggested I talk with county about the need for permits. Everything OK with them - no need for permits since I am only building up agricultural land.

Next thing I know, two state agencies are stopping my work. At $700 per hour the three hours they drilled me cost a few head of cattle. They wanted to know why I didn't have silk screen around the property, why I was cleaning the brush off the edge of a ditch the county dug years ago and put the dirt on my land thus stopping my water from reaching the ditch. And why I didn't have an environmental impact study prepared by a licensed environmnetal engineer.

Don't get me wrong. I was not tearing things up or muddying up a trout stream. I have been awarded conservation and stewardship awards and have a centenial farm. But the government has found it necessary to send a guy 250 miles to come tell me I'm breaking the law - which by the way I wasn't. After a three day delay everything was found that I was in compliance with all the many laws. Apparantly, the government has passed so many laws that even the regulators don't understand them. Thank God for the folks at the NRCS office for helping me resolve this problem since the regulators were talking som pretty stiff fines.

When did the working man become a target for the government? Was I sleeping? Or am I just a bad person who believes in good conservation and not preservation.[/quote]

 

[3MR]

Hmmm, wonder why they are picking on you everytime you try to do something?


How do you get along with your neighbors?

 

[Lammie]

That was exactly what I was thinking. Sounds like someone has a beef with you? You shouldn't be under the microscope to this extent.

 

[Southerngal]

Not sure where you are in South GA but a few weeks ago in my county we had the same problem. EPD was stopping everyone from digging ponds. I work for NRCS and had folks calling me and stopping by for about 3 days. The EPD guy was driving me and the farmers around here nuts. I was burning up the fax machine sending regs for ponds to EPD. You would think they would know the rules. Then again if you give some people a little authority they goes nuts. The EPD pepole were all in new postions.

 

[Jogeephus]

The problem is that it is not just me. We have experienced a lot of migration into our area from people outside the area wanting the rural lifestyle.

Don't think I'm that big of a sob. I do stink at times and my clothes are often torn and dirty.

Since this has happened to me, I have talked to several other people and have found I am not unique. ie Friend bought a farm with cutover timber on it. Cut and bulldozed trees to put in permament pasture. "The Keepers of the River" complained since this land was a mile from the river. They called the Corps of Engineers, Department of Natural Resourses, SCS and the Department of Agriculture and the State Forestry Commission complaining. Each complaint had to be followed up on by an inspection. The only violation he had done was to haul some cow manure to the farm to spread on fields and didn't have it covered. It had been there two days.

The point I'm trying to make here is that the laws on the books have been here for quite some time - since 1977 I think. They have some pretty big teeth but have been enforced with reason not a microscope. If you live way out in the country, your normal work practices probably won't come into question. But what happens to you when the town comes to the country? This may never happen to you, but wait until your children or your grandchildren have people watching them that are ignorant to agricultural practices but know there are many many agencies to call.

Another example is a friend of mine decided to fence off his land and grass it. A neighbor - transplanted urbanite - complained that her son would have nowhere to ride his 4-wheeler or hunt if he did this. He got a visit from 3 agencies and they eventually found something wrong. Minor, but it did hold up work for awhile.

Our vet told me he was called in by the Humane Society and "some concerned citizens" about a cow operation down the road. The complaint was that the owner was not feeding the cows and there was nothing in the bunk but a peanut hull and it had been there for days. They wanted to "shut this bad man down". My vet explained to the group that the green grass that they walked across to get to pen was a cow food and that in his opinion the cows were a wee bit fat - but definitely not abused.

 

[Lammie]

Oh, I understand your situation after reading the other post. It seems like there is a crackdown in your area for whatever reason. It sounds like you are trying to balance your needs and the environment and to follow the laws. One of those things, I guess. No telling what happened to make your particular area of the country come under fire. Sounds like it isn't just you, though.

 

[cmjust0]

I've often wondered if crackdowns like this have to do with trying to change the tax base.. Most farmers tend to be savers and do-it-yourselfers who are more interested in doing what they're doing than in the money it makes them... Most transplants tend to be borrowers and consumers who don't have a choice but to try to grow their income..

They'll collect more tax from the latter, so why not give the former a hard time and try to drive him out? If he wants to keep his debts down and pinch every quarter till the eagle craps, let him do it in the next county over.

Just thinking out loud, I guess..

 

[Alan]

I ran into a simailar, but not so severe problem in my area a while ago. Had to do with building permits on a pole barn... It was just a case of giving a young idiot with his chest puffed out a little authority and it went to his head. Lucky for me, he was dead wrong and his boss lives next to my place.... Ouch! 8)

Alan

 

[rkm]

When we was in the dairy business, after we operated on a cow for a Da or we had a cow that wasn't eating well we put them in small hay field close to the barn so they could relax and eat until they was able to return to the herd. A woman stopped every day to make sure we fed and watered them. Always complained "I don't know she looks pretty thin to me". She called the State Police once and had them check. People are watching every thing you do. No need to worry about the government spying on you, the "Do Gooders" are doning it for them.

 

[Jogeephus]

I appreciate your replies. The first two are probably the same opinion I would have had if this hadn't happened to me. I would think this clown has done something wrong to deserve this and is just belly-aching. But herein lies a deeper problem -which I am more guilty than anyone. Disbelief. We as cattlemen or farmers use common sense and we assume that others will be fair and also use common sense.

What if you woke up one morning to learn the Clean Water Act would require you to put silk fencing around your tillable acreage because of a regulation created by the EPD. Crazy huh? No its not. It's already happened. A few years ago. Thankfully a few senators made EPD strike this regulation.

Until now, I have been passive to politics. Haven't raised my voice or gotten involved. Been just working seven days a week and minding my own business. Trying to hold on to what God has blessed my family. This country has rewarded my family's hard work over the last century but I'm afraid that is not going to cut it in the next generation.

I know I am not the one to find a solution but I think I am part of the solution as are you. I am but one voice that will gladly join with your voice if you need me. I challenge you to look into these laws closer and see what regulations have spawned from them. You just might be surprised.

Don't be guilty like me and think that it won't happen to me or yeah that bozo had to do something wrong to be treated in such a manner because maybe just maybe that other fella is just like you - just trying to make ends meet.[/quote]

 

[Arnold Ziffle]

How about this :roll:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060720/ap_ ... woodpecker

 

[SPRINGER FARMS MURRAY GRE]

It is all related to the "re-wilding project".... Do a google search. :shock:

 

[Jogeephus]

How about this :roll:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060720/ap_ ... woodpecker

Yeah, how would you like that to be in your back yard. Look at the red cockaded woodpecker. We got some. Can't cut timber within a radius of 1/4 mile. Do the math. That's includes my neighbors property too.

 

[3MR]

I wasnt saying you had doen anythig wrong. Thats not my place. What I was thinking is for whatever reason your neighbors were calling and making complaints about what you were doing.

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While not allways the case, people moving out to the country for the rural life often time shave no idea what the rural life actually entails. T