Wish me Luck

[greybeard]

I'm sure somewhere in all this mess, there is some alphabet soup enforcement officer with short penis syndrome just waiting to see the first tree fall so they can make their little substitute wee wee a bit longer.

 

[Workinonit Farm]

I guess I have not had any issues, as I have not involved FSA or CRP or any of those other outfits as I would rather not have any more "noses" poking into my business than necessary.

 

[bball]

Why in the heck would any Red Blooded American as any to these turdheads first. Is there handouts and welfare that important to you?

That's a real good question RBB. Let me try to shed some light.

First, I don't receive a check from any govt agency. However, in this part of the country, if you rent ground for row crops, you better believe those fellas are heading to the usda office every year. Period. I rent to a fella who farms 2600 acres. Neighbor farms 3000. All report to the usda office. Try renting ground that is out of compliance.. won't happen. Welfare or not.

Next, and more importantly for my specific purposes. I purchased some ground last few years. 45 acres was wooded. If I screw it up and do something that brings the ground out of usda compliance, I don't just ruin my potential earning income on renting ground, I screw my kids and grandkids because they wouldn't be able to sell that ground for nothing.. nobody up here wants it if it is out of compliance. No return on investment.
Finally, is it worth the risk if some do gooder neighbor sticks their nose in your business, calls EPA and they decide to fine you for Lord knows what and how much.

I truly wish it were as easy as 'I can do want I want, it's my land' Lord knows I do...and I guess I can to an extent, but there are very serious consequences if I break the rules...if not for me, than surely my kids down the line.

 

[greybeard]

I truly live within a rock's throw of a National Forest (my west and South boundaries) with a river that provides water for the City of Houston on the opposite end as a property boundary and I don't have to go thru any of that crap. All they (US Forest Service) told me when I cleared this place was that it would be nice if I would leave a 50' buffer of timber untouched down by the river for wildlife to move thru and help cool the water but it was totally my choice whether to do so or not.

 

[Red Bull Breeder]

Boy the welfare system in this country sure runs deep. The nosey neighbor would wake up to chainsaws and log skidders if it was my property. USDA and all the rest could kiss my _ _ _. That's why I won't take a dime of the bribe money they put out.

 

[M-5]

Are you enrolled in any programs? Do you plan to enroll in programs. If yes you better talk to someone. If not shut ur mouth until the logger can get there and tell him to cut it

 

[highgrit]

Thanks for the comments all. Just another day dealing with "Big Brother"...are we really free????[/quote]

No we're not really free. If you don't send the government money, you'll loose everything you have.
M-5, to late for that he's already been notified, or contacted. Going to need a lawyer in the near future, or just bow down and take your screwing. Welcome to the US of A.

 

[Red Bull Breeder]

Sell the timber to a Sawmill. Tell the USDA to kiss your _ _ _.

 

[fenceman]

I kinda think I'd tend to go on the offensive.
Sounds to me like trespassing. Surely they can't just let themselves into private property.

 

[bball]

Welp, I went to the USDA-NRCS office. They were indeed on my property. It was just a low level employee in the office but she said I had requested the review??? I said I hadn't, and she couldn't find anything with my signature...I know I didn't request the review.

Anyway, she said I would be getting a certified letter in the mail...she said all she could recall of her conversations about my land was that they were concerned about contamination of the creek and the health of the woods (apparently a soil scientist and forester were the 2 on the land). She said they were going to put limits on what I could and could not do...not sure what that means. Does the USDA have the ability to impose fines?? This is all very new to me...of course I don't want to ruin the environment...but my plans were to fence the cattle out of the creek anyway.

I do tend to agree with TB...and I have been trying to get the logger out all summer...now he is saying mid to late September. I'm sure I will have my "letter" by then. I will have to wait to see what it says.

Thanks for the comments all. Just another day dealing with "Big Brother"...are we really free????

I can't find any real precedent where they have fined for clearing woodlands. It's like M-5 says, if you aren't in a program nor intend to, USDA shouldn't care...except for the fact that SOMEONE turned them on to your place now. So I would schedule a meeting and find out just exactly what their agenda is and make clear you have no intention of being involved with any of their programs. I would not tell them to kiss my azz, or go down there trying to pizz them off. Because they could make one phone call to the EPA, who does fine people all the time, seize property, etc. Very least, make things difficult for you.. who needs that? Sadly, we don't live in a free country really. Big brother has been watching for a while. I have never put an acre of my ground in a USDA program, but when I went to check on one of my farms at their office last year, (after finding out I could be ruining property value by clearing property with out checking with them first) turns out they had records of the farm from previous 1985! Previous owners 3 owners back! ! When I asked the rep what the consequences were for being non compliant, he said I would have to repay any money received from USDA (no problem, didn't receive any). Would also disqualify all other properties (could be a problem for leasing ground to row croppers) and to remedy problem, a person would have to return property to previous condition. (So any drain tile would be cut,capped or filled and any woodlands would need to be replanted (to the tune of $800 an acre average)).

 

[TexasBred]

If you have farmable land you have to have a Farm Number with the FSA office if your report your planting dates and crops. I also get a card from the tax collectors office asking if any changes have been made to the wetlands on my property for homestead exemption. about 10yrs I was going to enroll in crp program and the land had to show conventional row crops for 3 yrs to be eligible. when I looked at the maps of the tillable land that was the area I wanted planted didn't qualify for it. Their are ways to get around it if you have 5 acres of low land and want to use it you can create 5 more acres nearby and it will comply if I understand it correctly. Subtle changes will never be noticed much if the buffer is improved first. What gets nosy neighbors upset is the drastic change. I had a neighbor last year that threated me because I modified the drainage of a field because of flood waters. He said he was going to report me because I was contributing to his neighbor a mile away being flooded. I politely explained that after the "Authorities" came to my place I would gladly take them around to his two pond he dug without permits and how he changed the flood plain. I will spare you the details of what else I told him .

So far I've never had to put up with any of that. Bought the adjoining property about 8 years ago and had a dozer clearing it in less than a week. Set about 10 big burn piles off at one time. A Texas HP did stop and make sure everything was under control. Fenced it, planted it and not a word out of anybody. Took 5 years to get an ag exemption on it.