The Briefing Room

General Category => National/Breaking News => SCOTUS News => Topic started by: Elderberry on June 12, 2022, 01:57:39 pm

Title: Supremes to hear how Forest Service hit landowners with 'bait-and-switch' scheme
Post by: Elderberry on June 12, 2022, 01:57:39 pm
WND  By Bob Unruh 6/11/2022

Changed terms of easement to make private track a public road

The Pacific Legal Foundation has announced that the Supreme Court will hear its case involving how the U.S. Forest Service hit two Montana landowners with a bait-and-switch scheme in which it obtained an easement across their properties for limited use, and then turned that into a public road.

The foundation explained that case that has been going on for several years already: "Wil Wilkins and Jane Stanton are neighbors, living on adjoining properties next to the Bitterroot National Forest in Western Montana. Their properties share a private road, for which the previous owners granted a limited-use easement to the Forest Service in 1962. Under the terms of the original easement, the use of the road was to be limited to Forest Service employees and approved permit holders, like loggers and ranchers, providing access for necessary maintenance of the surrounding forest lands. Access to the road was never intended to extend to the general public."

However, the foundation said the Forest Service "illegally change the terms" of the agreement.

In fact, on what was agreed to be "a limited-use easement," the Forest Service posted signs granted the public access, and the agency's actions have now resulted in "serious traffic hazards, road damage, fire threats, noise, trespassing, illegal hunting, speeding, and other intrusive and dangerous activities."

More: https://www.wnd.com/2022/06/supremes-hear-forest-service-hit-landowners-bait-switch-scheme/ (https://www.wnd.com/2022/06/supremes-hear-forest-service-hit-landowners-bait-switch-scheme/)