NE Missouri News

Congressman Sam Graves (MO-06) introduced two bills today aimed at bolstering landowner rights against federal land seizures. The Rails to Trails Landowner Rights Act and the Protecting Our Farmers from the Green New Deal Act are designed to address concerns over property rights and government intervention.

“There are few things more sacred than our right to own property, to farm, and to provide for our families,” said Graves. “That’s why our Founding Fathers sought to protect landowners from government land grabs with the Fifth Amendment. Sadly, too many Washington bureaucrats these days just don’t get it—and that’s exactly why we need stronger laws to keep these unaccountable bureaucrats in line, protect landowner rights, and stop unjust federal land grabs.”

H.R. 9604, the Rails to Trails Landowner Rights Act, aims to regulate the Surface Transportation Board’s Rails to Trails program. This program permits the federal government to repurpose former railroad corridors for recreational trails without adequately involving or compensating affected landowners. Graves’ legislation would mandate trail sponsors obtain consent from all impacted landowners and provide full compensation when projects proceed.

H.R. 9603, the Protecting Our Farmers from the Green New Deal Act, seeks to repeal certain provisions of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) signed into law by President Biden. These provisions enable the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to override state permitting decisions and approve eminent domain for electric transmission lines.

As Chairman of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, Congressman Graves has also included a provision in the Water Resources Development Act of 2024 that prevents the United States Army Corps of Engineers from using eminent domain under the Missouri River BSNP Fish and Wildlife Mitigation Project.

Missouri Farm Bureau President Garrett Hawkins commented on these initiatives: “For too long, property owners have been run over by provisions of the federal Rails to Trails program, which allows the conversion of abandoned rail lines to public trails without their consent. Protecting private property rights is a priority for Missouri Farm Bureau. We are grateful to Chairman Graves for leading the charge to ensure landowners' rights are protected when new trails are proposed. We look forward to working with Chairman Graves and his colleagues in Congress to move this priority initiative across the finish line.”