Real Estate & Property Law

The Classic: Environment v. Development

By Alan Ackerman

Billings Gazette

The Montana Land Board is to decide on Sept. 21 whether to accept an appraisal of the state-owned Otter Creek coal tracts near Ashland. If the Land Board accepts the appraisal, it will set in motion the process for leasing Otter Creek coal. While this may benefit coal speculators, it will impose numerous serious economic, social and environmental costs on Montana.

A recent economic study by Dr. Tom Power of the University of Montana found the Norwest Corp. appraisal fundamentally flawed. Dr. Power calls on the state to conduct a new appraisal because the current one is "incomplete, lacks foundation, contains major conceptual and factual errors, and has been outdated by changed economic circumstances." 

These mixed land use\eminent domain\environmental issues in the Mountain States are fascinating.  While we need to develop our public resources, we also need to protect our environment.  The demand for resources must be provide a long-term perspective. Likewise, our environmental concerns will be relevant long after this writer and any reader is alive.

Full post as published by National Eminent Domain Blog on September 11, 2009 (boomark / email).