After analyzing George Bush’s legacy with respect to landowners, scrutinizing the inclinations of lawmakers in the 111th Congress, and studying key members of President Obama’s cabinet, it’s time for The Land Report to look at the Commander-in-Chief himself.
THE PRESIDENT ON POLICY: On the campaign trail, Obama promised to put “an unprecedented level of emphasis on the conservation of private lands.” He has backed conservation efforts – everything from the “Roadless Rule,” which limits development in wilderness areas; to the Conservation Reserve Program; to a measure backed by Sen. Charles Grassley (R-Iowa) that would reallocate $2 billion in federal funds by cutting payments to farmers and putting the money into land conservation.
THE PRESIDENT’S PERSONAL LAND: The 43rd President, George W. Bush, hosted heads of state and lead the Free World from his 1,583-acre ranch in Crawford, Texas. Obama’s real property holdings are strictly urban: a $1.6 million house in Chicago’s Kenwood neighborhood and 200-year-old corporate digs in D.C. provided by his employer.