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    • HOME
    • Ranchers' rights
      • Right Enter Public Land
      • Possessory Right
      • Collection of Laws
      • Grazing Land Survey
    • ESA and the Wolf
      • Mexican Wolf
      • Endangered Species Acts
    • Aldo Leopold Wilderness
      • Aldo Leopold Centennial
      • Leopold Family n Ranching
      • Wildlife Hunting n Range
      • Wilderness
  • HOME
  • Ranchers' rights
    • Right Enter Public Land
    • Possessory Right
    • Collection of Laws
    • Grazing Land Survey
  • ESA and the Wolf
    • Mexican Wolf
    • Endangered Species Acts
  • Aldo Leopold Wilderness
    • Aldo Leopold Centennial
    • Leopold Family n Ranching
    • Wildlife Hunting n Range
    • Wilderness

Welcome

Ranchers Have Rights

Ranchers Have RightsRanchers Have RightsRanchers Have Rights

Collection of 

Articles and Laws of 

Ranching History

Within New Mexico


National Forests


Protection

of Ranches


and


Ranching Families

About

In 2021, I asked a  

US Forest Service Supervisor 

 what are 

VALID EXISTING RIGHTS

for ranchers, 

for the livestock industry? 


 He wrote

A USFS Grazing Permit 

does not grant any 

right, title, or interest in the land or resources.


Water is left to the state.


The search began...


THE HISTORY

Congress gave control of waters to the States through the 1866 Ditch act. A court case explains; State of Oregon v Federal Power Commission, 1954:

The Basic:

What is a Ranch?

Does it include use of the range on Federal lands?

Yes, it seems so.


Under NM Territorial law of 1876,

Travelers with large herds of livestock need permission to use streams and springs of another. One could not use another's waters from wells or ponds or reservoirs of waters. 

Today NM 72-1-6.



1885, It was accepted that control of the waters is what entitled one to use the range.

1889 Territorial law, With the US congress' blessing, a ranch is protected through the local magistrate court;   Today New Mexico Law of Occupation 19-3-13 thru 19-3-16 with fines and jail time.



Federal Laws

Subject to Valid Existing Rights; Water Rights

1866 Ditch Act-Mineral Land; Water users vested and accrued rights, 30 USC 15, 14 stat 253


1897 Organic Act-Laws of Conservation; water within national forests may be used under laws of the State, 16 USC 481, 30 stat 36


1978-Public Rangeland Improvement; Subject to Valid Existing Rights, 43 USC 4120 3-2, 92 stat 1805

According to AI

The Public Rangeland Improvement Act recognizes valid existing rights to water, meaning that any water rights established before the Act's Implementation are protected and cannot be infringed upon by new regulations or agreements. This insures that those who have historically used water resources retain their rights.

1902, Necessity for fence not to enclose the land but to keep cattle on certain range.

1933, Another could not build dirt tanks or dig a well on a range where a rancher already had control of the living, permanent springs

In 1975, New Mexico ranchers went to court over compensation for lands taken for the Missile Range.

The Court described a ranch as

 "The rule in general that however nominally divided . . ., if the whole area is used together for a farm, ranch, or other appropriate purpose, it is to be considered one property. Moreover, the fact that different portions of a farm, ranch, or other rural holdings were acquired from different persons, or are otherwise held under different titles, will not prevent its being treated as an entirety in the assessments of damages for a taking of a part, if the whole area is held and operated as a single property." (omitting citations; emphasis added)); see also 6 ALR 2d 1217 § 9. 

Ranchers on State land who claimed waters were compensated.

 Ranchers under Federal Law, Taylor Grazing Act, who didn't clainm ranches under state water laws were ignored. Pay attention! Learn from court cases. 

Water is gold.

Note [8] This is not to ignore the fact, however, that these are situations where the water is found on the land leased from the State and in such instances, of course, the value of the land leased from the State is not negligible. 

United States v. 40,021.64 ACRES OF LAND, ETC., NM (1975)

Ranch Property: Ownership of water rights

 which control adjoining National Forest range is "given  nearly the same weight with the ownership of cultivated lands."

Go to 1905 USFS USE Book

The 1911 Use Book used the word "ranch":

ranch; property within or near the Forest, and dependence upon the range; or by the acquisition of stock grazed upon National Forest lands under permit and of improved ranch; property used in connection with the stock,  Pg. 10


 improved ranch; property which is commensurate, and used in connection, with the stock Pg. 12


 A class A owner is one who does not own more than the protective limit number of stock established for the Forest, who owns and resides upon an improved ranch; within or adjacent to the Forest, and who is dependent upon the use of the National Forest range in connection with his ranch; property.   Pg. 35

Go To 1911 USFS Use Book

RanchersHaveRights

I found hundreds of articles.

To get them organized is the challenge.

Please be patient,

Check for updates.

I'm not a lawyer,

I like to read laws,

court cases,

and

old newspapers.

Slide to the Right, Slide to the left

Federal Law

    The Purpose to Define

    Subject to Valid Existing Rights

    All actions by the

    Secretary concerned

    under

    Federal Lands Policy 

    Management Act

    SHALL BE

    SUBJECT TO VALID

    EXISTING RIGHTS.

    Oct 21, 1976

    (90 Stat 2786)

    43 USC 1701 (h)

    There's More

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