The sale of the Forbes Ranch

The Land Report editor Eric O’Keefe discusses one the biggest sales of 2007, the Forbes Ranch in Colorado. Read more

Tigua Indians make their land claim

The Land Report editor Eric O’Keefe reports on a claim against Texas made by the Tigua Indians. Read more

What are the tax rules on easements?

With the increase in sale of easements for wind power or for recreational use, it is important to examine some of the rules and history of cases involving easements. Read more

Rancho El Cojo and Jalama Ranch combine to make 25,000 acre ranch

You missed it. Two ranches combined into one premium property totaling close to 25,000 acres north of Santa Barbara, California, are off the market. Read more

Crafting a Masterpiece

Harrison Ford has made a career out of defying death and saving the day, the girl, or maybe just civilization as we know it-feats he routinely pulls off in the time it takes to wash down a handful of popcorn with a swig of Coca-Cola. It’s a unique skill set-one that comes with its own rewards, such as getting to choose where you live. And by the time Return of the Jedi hit box-office gold in 1983, Ford was ready to pull up his stake and leave Southern California. Read more

Is the Clean Water Act polluted?

You know the big mud puddle that forms on your back 40 every time it rains? The Environmental Protection Agency might want to come inspect it. At least, that’s the concern of groups that oppose a law that would rewrite the 35-year-old Clean Water Act. Read more

Going off the grid

Four miles from the nearest road. No electricity. No running water. Not even cell phone service. No matter.
 
“It took me more than a year to find this place,” Chet Morrison says as he gestures toward the larger-than-life views in every direction. “I’d say it was worth the wait, wouldn’t you?” Read more

Colorado offers preliminary ruling against eminent domain of water rights

One of the most contentious topics in the parched American West took another turn when the Colorado House of Representatives gave preliminary approval to a bill that would prohibit government entities from using eminent domain to condemn water rights. Read more

Bill May Force Landowners to Shoulder Firefighting Cost

When Smokey Bear says, “Only you can prevent forest fires,” he really means it. After several years of historic wildfires in the West that have strained firefighting budgets, burned thousands of acres, and destroyed homes, lawmakers in Washington and at the state and local levels are preparing to ask landowners to help combat the blazes before they begin. Read more

Editor’s Note: Buy High

One of the consequences of our August cover story on Harrison Ford’s gorgeous 800-acre property along the Snake River in Jackson Hole was that I got a much better understanding of the dynamics of the real estate market in that corner of Wyoming. Read more