Say Anything Blog

A reader, after seeing my posts on the subject (collected here) and hearing me speak about the issue on the radio, emailed state Senator Tracy Potter about the National Heritage Areas controversy.  After Senator Potter replied, the reader forwarded the email on to me.  I am going to excerpts from the email, along with my reactions.

I can assure you that this is nothing like a national park moving into the area. As I have repeatedly said, the entire state of Tennessee is a National Heritage Area and life goes on there just like it did before they decided to honor their central place in the American Civil War with the designation.
Nothing happens to private property within the area - nothing happens to the rights of inheritance - nothing.
I don’t know who is spreading the malicious disinformation, but they should stop upsetting people. Heritage Areas are strictly positive recognition from Congress of the rich history of our area and possible assistance for our museums and historic sites.

First, let me say that Senator Potter knows full well who is spreading what he calls “malicious disinformation.”  He was on the radio with me on the Scott Hennen show just last week (listen to the audio here).  He actually requested that time on the air himself after hearing previous segments of mine on Scott’s show, and I’m sure he’s read my posts on the subject here on the blog as well as the work done by the North Dakota Policy Council and the North Dakota Farm Bureau.

Further, if Senator Potter wants to talk about misinformation, perhaps he should update his website which contains a version of the federal bill that created this National Heritage Area that was introduced in the 109th congress and contained a clause allowing property owners to opt out.  The bill that finally passed the 111th Congress contained no such language.

As for the “entire state of Tennessee” being a National Heritage Area, I would note that there are some grave concerns about the status of property rights in Tennessee as well as outlined by Cheryl K. Chumley of the American Policy Center and Tom DeWeese of the same organization.

Finally, Potter says that “nothing” happens with private property in the area.  And yet, he told me during my debate with him on air that the goal of his group was to create a “management plan” for the National Heritage Area that would then be presented at public meetings.  It seems to me that if the property owners - who were never alerted to the fact that their land had been included in this designation - don’t show up to all of those public meetings something will happen to their land.  Something they don’t like.

Which leads us to the final part of Senator Potter’s email:

The bill that passed Congress creating a heritage area along the Missouri tells us what happens next. The board will need to hold a series of public meetings to tell people what heritage areas can be and what they can’t be. Private property rights are completely protected. Based on public input, the board will present a plan to Congress and the National Park Service on how funds could be invested. Every year, Congress will decide whether or not to provide any money at all, and, if there is an appropriation, for what it should be used.

Potter says that nothing will happen to private property.  And yet Northern Plains Heritage Foundation board, which he said during his interview will get something like $160,000 of your tax dollars to hold public meetings, will be developing a management plan for the area.  And they’ll be getting public input on that plan from public meetings.  And the’ll be submitting that plan to Congress so that it is made law and they group gets even more funding.

So, basically, if you don’t show up to the meetings and defend yourself something will happen to your lands.  And there’s no opting out.

Maybe the property owners will like what the Northern Plains Heritage Foundation comes up with for their land.  The point is, though, that if the property owners don’t like it they shouldn’t have to go along.  And they shouldn’t have to worry about showing up at public meetings to defend what is there’s from the busy-body planning of people like Senator Potter.