How to Invest in Land (Without Living on It)

Whether you own a quarter-acre urban lot or a 40,000-acre ranch, your love of the land comes from the moment you pick up a handful of ground and watch the dirt fall through your fingers, knowing that it’s yours—all yours. But while there’s that intangible, visceral satisfaction of ownership, let’s not ignore the other benefit—profit. From energy stocks to timber REITs and ski resorts to cattle ranches, a diverse group of equities is tied to the enormous natural resources of land. Read more

ATV Riders Run Into Bump in Road

Whether you’re tearing it up in an off-road vehicle or all torn up about their impact on the land, you’ll probably want to know about the tongue-twisting new advocacy group known as Rangers for Responsible Recreation. The group, backed by Washington, D.C.-based lobbying outfit Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER), may be the most influential so far to push for broader regulations on off-roaders riding on public lands. And their efforts could have a spillover effect on private properties. Read more

The Nature Conservancy Purchases 161,000 acres in New York

BY TREY GARRISON
PUBLISHED AUGUST 2007

The Nature Conservancy purchased 161,000 acres of Finch Paper Holdings forestlands in New York’s Adirondack Mountains. The $110 million deal, which works out to approximately $683 per acre, was announced on June 18 and includes a 20-year working forest agreement that will ensure the continued harvesting of timber on a large portion of the land and preserve approximately 850 jobs at the Glen Falls mill on the Upper Hudson River. Read more

New Law Protects Pennsylvania Landowners

The State of Independence has liberated landowners in a case that may set a national precedent. Earlier this summer, Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell signed a law granting new protections to landowners who open their property to sportsmen and others for recreational purposes. Read more