DK Firearms

Losing my hunting lease of 26 years and fighting to save the value of my home and property (Solar Farm)

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  • DixieReb

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    Guys I’m in the battle of my life, Thursday was a week ago some surveyors were in my area from Kansas, they were surveying my hunting lease I’ve had for 26 years, the lease joins my 20 acres where I built my home 32 years ago. I’ll most certainly lose my 1400 acre lease that I’ve worked so hard to manage, folks are always wanting to join my little hunting club as it’s loaded with big whitetail deer and turkeys too. With that being said it will surely be a big loss to lose the lease but more importantly disastrous to see my home and land value plummet. I’ve reached out to the Governor of Alabama twice by email, no reply back, reached out to other US Congress folks Tommy Tubberville and Katie Britt and Barry Moore, only got an email back from Tubberville so far and it said he would have a staff worker look in to it, I am so pissed, I didn’t vote for a staff worker ! I’ve reached out to many state agencies in Montgomery concerning the protected gopher tortoise, the federally protected eastern indigo snake and the federally protected and almost extinct Alabama canebrake pitcher plant that’s on the property. Ive reached out to the Poarch Creek Indians at Atmore too as I know of four Native American camp sites on the property, I’m in an uphill battle fighting Bidens new green energy and a massive load of federal money to be wasted. The power company involved does not even serve this county and it’s a shame to see so much beautiful old growth long leaf pines cut for a solar panel farm. I’d like to know why big government preaches climate control and global warming but yet will allow 2000 plus acres of beautiful trees be cut down for a solar farm. If anybody can help me in this David vs Goliath fight please send me a personal message. The area I’m talking about is in Covington County AL between Andalusia and Opp, north of Florala in the Oakey Ridge Community. Many neighbors will be affected by this solar farm, I’m not against a solar farm if it’s a viable means of energy but it needs to be put in an area where absolutely no one lives and there are places like that in this county with no homes for miles and miles. Please keep me and my neighbors in your prayers as we struggle to bring awareness to this solar farm devastation.
     

    Bowhntr6pt

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    Just wait... your mail box will be flooded with solicitations from lawyers who specialize in Eminent Domain price negotiations.

    I went through it a few years ago when they ran the power line from a Solar Farm near Lake City (east FL) to somewhere near Marianna. I got a good price for 1.5 acres (total for a 15' Right of Way from the I-10 fence) with fair consideration for a couple hundred Black Walnut trees. Really not that intrusive of a loss.

    In the end, all I have is two power poles up by the fence along I-10. Zero impact on the hunting thankfully.

    I'm waiting to hear from the guy I lease an adjoining 110 acres as the state is planning to build a new dump station on the land I lease to assist the rest stop just east of MM 231 along I-10. The plans appear minimally intrusive and I will actually come out ahead by losing half the lease but also having no hunting there as well at no cost to me. The other side of the road is where I hunt on the lease and have never bothered with the side that will be effected (an old road runs through the middle of the lease).

    You really don't stand a chance... if the .gov wants the land they will get it. Endangered species means nothing to the govt.

    You would be well served to contact an attorney who specializes in FIGHTING Eminent Domain vs. the solicitations to come who only fight to get "top dollar", of which, they take a cut. In the end, you just might be out the land AND lawyers fees. It's a racket no doubt.

    Best of luck to you going forward.
     

    Snake-Eyes

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    Fish and Wildlife endangered species info:



    FWS info about energy development:



    This next one is a link to a law course, but the description is what I found interesting. The tribes could possibly “take” the solar farm, after it’s built. Maybe enough reason for them to find some other land…

     

    DAS HUGH!

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    I wonder if they have it figured out where the transmission lines will run at?
    If they want your land for the actual solar farm, they'll need even more adjacent land to run the high voltage lines to and from it.
    I wonder if they do that after they get the farm land. So not as many land owners are angry all at once? If you can find out where they plan to do that and alert those people too you may get some help?
    This makes me angry too. I hate to hear about people losing land like this. Let alone for a solar plant that works just during sunny days. I want to help but that's the only thing I can think of. Sorry. Good luck bud!
     

    DixieReb

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    I’ve reached out to the US Fish & Wildlife Service for help, was told they’d have to see a permit come in for the project before they would step in, may be too late by that time.
     

    DixieReb

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    I wonder if they have it figured out where the transmission lines will run at?
    If they want your land for the actual solar farm, they'll need even more adjacent land to run the high voltage lines to and from it.
    I wonder if they do that after they get the farm land. So not as many land owners are angry all at once? If you can find out where they plan to do that and alert those people too you may get some help?
    This makes me angry too. I hate to hear about people losing land like this. Let alone for a solar plant that works just during sunny days. I want to help but that's the only thing I can think of. Sorry. Good luck bud!
    They want my land and several neighbors for road frontage property I’ve been told on a paved county road, I have not been approached yet but a close by neighbor was made an offer from a solar power company out of Miami for her farm, she turned the offer down.
     

    Bowhntr6pt

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    I can assure you. LOTS of research went into the initial plans for this project, it started years ago. Anyone who rides along I-10 from Lake City to Tallahassee just look at that power line on the north side of the road.

    I got $17K for the two poles... we are only talking 500-600 yards along I-10, can you just imagine the total cost for MILES of property, timber, crops, and out-buildings. My neighbor who I lease the 110 acres from had planted pines, I know he made way more that I did as his line was twice mine.
     

    Duckyou

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    Likely not an eminent domain case. The owner of the property is going to do a 30 year lease for $2,000/acre with a 5% annual increase.

    I know a sugar farm land owner that is going to put their 20k acres into solar leases. Steady money and no problems.
     

    noleveyor

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    I can assure you. LOTS of research went into the initial plans for this project, it started years ago. Anyone who rides along I-10 from Lake City to Tallahassee just look at that power line on the north side of the road.

    I got $17K for the two poles... we are only talking 500-600 yards along I-10, can you just imagine the total cost for MILES of property, timber, crops, and out-buildings. My neighbor who I lease the 110 acres from had planted pines, I know he made way more that I did as his line was twice mine.
    They gave the County your property is in 3 Mill in hush money....
     

    RHINOWSO

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    Likely not an eminent domain case. The owner of the property is going to do a 30 year lease for $2,000/acre with a 5% annual increase.

    I know a sugar farm land owner that is going to put their 20k acres into solar leases. Steady money and no problems.
    Agreed, they'll get tons more from a solar lease than a hunting lease.
     

    fl57caveman

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    lean hard on the rare wildlife, carbon fixing forest land, the indian factor also.. public useage by disabled vets for hunting lands/?
     

    Jhunter

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    I can’t think of a more wasteful way to use land than solar. How many tons of carbon do plants absorb per acre? How much carbon emissions does the solar farm save?
     

    Southalabama

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    lean hard on the rare wildlife, carbon fixing forest land, the indian factor also.. public useage by disabled vets for hunting lands/?
    Don’t waste your effort with Indian tribe. In Wetumpka they dug up and relocated their ancestors to expand the casino. Sorry but nothing over in your neck of the woods will interest them.

    Now woodpeckers. Might be best bet. But even then that won’t protect a vast area.

    Best bet is to figure out the best way to get compensated. I hate to suggest that. I walked down a trail today built over a hundred years ago by my gr gr grandfather. Land is important. I just don’t see a way out for you.
     

    DixieReb

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    Well my home and the 20 acres it sits on won’t be worth $h/t after all this is built if I can even hang on to it. Deer and Turkey in my yard all the time, this is home and nothing or nowhere else will ever be the same, here’s some pics from this past weekend
     

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