11/16/05 FB unveils property initiative

11/16/05 FB unveils property initiative

Washington Ag November 16, 2005 The draft wording of a property rights initiative that could undergo several revisions before it's filed in January was unveiled at the Washington State Farm Bureau convention in Yakima this week. Dan Wood, Farm Bureau director of government relations summed up the intent of initiative. Wood: "We want to require government to participate in voluntary cooperative conservation programs if they want environmental enhancements. And secondly we want to tell them they cannot damage use or value of property unless they are doing it to protect against actual harm." Wood cites some governmental regulations that show the need for better private property rights protection. Wood: "Three hundred foot buffers on the farm. Telling people they have to fence off part of their land and not even walk on it themselves. Calling agriculture a development that requires a permit. The list goes on and on." The Farm Bureau says polling conducted in May of this year showed strong public support across the state. Wood: "We are polling about 79% support when we ask people if government should be required to pay for use and damage of private property." Wood says environmentalist opponents were against the property rights initiative even before there was a draft version of it, which he says "tells you where they are coming from." The plan is for a volunteer signature drive to get the initiative on the November 2006 General Election ballot. I'm Bob Hoff
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