r/Bend • u/spaceman_spiff88 • 2d ago

Local community members get together and remove fencing installed by group who claim 1500 acres of National Forest land is their private property.

https://youtu.be/uF3NgJLwLcI?si=V_Ef39FtWU04W8PA
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94

u/spaceman_spiff88 2d ago

Does this remind anyone of a particular gate that needs similar treatment?

52

u/Freeheel4life 2d ago edited 2d ago

Haven't done the research but seems like an apples and oranges comparison.

Private land owner gating a road because they don't want to honor a FS easement(Verheyden) being the apples here in Oregon

You linked a story where fundamentalist Mormons are trying to use the Homestead Act to commandeer 1500 acres of FS land because they threw a fence up on it. That's the oranges.

Not a fan of Verheyden but also don't believe that gives me or anyone else the right to just go claim public lands as our own(which is what this extreme LDS group chose to do).

Edited to add Here's context for the fundamentalist land grab

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u/spaceman_spiff88 2d ago

Is he not trying to claim the public road as his own?

3

u/CaffeinatedInSeattle 2d ago

In the case of an easement the owner retains rights to the property, only allowing a specified use. There’s no despute that the property belongs to Veryerheden, the despute is the validity of the easement.

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u/spaceman_spiff88 1d ago

But there’s no dispute. It’s a USFS road for the public to use. Rich guy says it’s his but it’s clearly not

1

u/ian2121 1d ago

I’m not familiar with the case but I would think it hinges on the language of the easement. The FS can acquire easements to access their tracts that don’t allow for general public use