Posted on 11/28/2007 12:13:13 PM PST by george76
Ted Turner's men didn't flinch...
When the auction was over, they walked away with what they came for: 26,300 acres of prime ranch land, at a cost of nearly $10 million.
"It hasn't taken long to find out he's serious," said Duane Kime, a rancher and Turner neighbor who was outbid by about $100,000 by the CNN founder.
But what exactly is Turner serious about?
The question gnaws at folks here and in other rural areas of the country ...
Turner has amassed 2 million acres over the past two decades to become the largest private landowner in the country. He owns land in at least nine states, with most of his holdings in New Mexico, Nebraska, Montana and South Dakota...
His front men say their boss doesn't have a secret agenda... But each big buy only heightens the anxiety and gives rise to conspiracy theories, the most ominous of which hold that the swashbuckling Atlanta executive is bent on putting Nebraska ranchers and farmers out of business.
Among the theories: Turner is trying to corner the land over the Ogallala Aquifer, the world's largest underground water system, to gain power in the water-starved West.
Or: He is scheming, perhaps with the United Nations, to create a vast wildlife refuge and turn it over to the federal government, removing the land from Nebraska's tax rolls...
Turner's organizations also have been in discussions with the World Wildlife Fund and the World Conservation Union ...
Turner's Vermejo Park Ranch in New Mexico, for example, offers weeklong elk hunting excursions at $12,000 a pop...
Another persistent complaint is that Turner's extraordinary ability to outbid just about anyone is driving up land prices, making it tougher for longtime ranchers to expand and keep their operations afloat.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
who cares anyway Land can’t take it with you - what he got 20 years left? I say he donates all for the Ted Turner Super Park to match his super ego...
If I had the money, I'd pretty much do the same thing though... Except I wouldn't let anyone on any of it, even for $12,000 a pop. (My FReeper name WOULD have been The Hermet, if it hadn't already been taken...)
Actually, I read in an interview of Ted Turner a long time ago that owning a continuous swath of land stretching from Mexico to Canada was precisely his intent. I don’t know how serious he was.
There is a ranch in this area that is nearly 600 sections that Ted Turner negotiated to buy about 15 years ago. The ranch has some sort of conservation easment that means they agreed to follow certain guidlines that are supposed to show good stewardship of the land. Ted seemed very serious about the ranch- it was priced at 17 million. After he thought it over- he backed out and made the statement that he would not pay 17 million for land- and allow anyone else tell him what to do with that land. While I would feel that way myself- I was happy at the time that Ted & Jane would not become neighbors.
There were a lot of rumors then about why he felt the need to own so much land- he already had large holdings here in NM. It is curious, there is just no way to know if he has some sort of plan or if he just likes to own land. My dad knew a man that just kept increasing the size of his ranch many years ago. He told my dad he was not greedy as most people said he was- he said he just wanted to own everything he could see; and everything that joined it. Maybe Ted is the same way.
It’s interesting to me that the article said most of his land is in conservation easments when he said that was the reason he wasn’t buying the ranch here. He must have changed his mind about that. Probably a huge tax advantage or something comes with those set-ups.
I surely don’t agree with the man on social issues, or politics- but I have to say if I had his money I would likely own a bunch of pretty land myself- so I don’t begrudge him that. I just hope he doesn’t have plans for it that include the UN or some other nonsense in the future.
I do not trust Ted on much : espically his word.
He has the legal right to buy these lands, but it is tough on the local families. They may have borrow tons of money just on the land.
Then there is the future higher property tax issues and...
It would not surprise me if he tries to do some loonie UN thing. Hopefully, I am wrong.
He might try that or will to the UN. It will be that or some some nefarious purpose. Turner went off the edge some time ago. He is trying to be a historic philanthropist and mainly looks like a historic fool.
No, no, Michael Moore is the largest lardowner. Turner is the largest LANDowner. See the difference?
Hi george,
Just read this article in an email alert I get daily. Good article.
Haven’t been of FR much lately (busy) but I do appreciate your pings.
“Michael Moore is the largest lardowner. Turner is the largest LANDowner. See the difference?”
Gee I was just off one letter. Now which one is the biggest liberal?
Acres of land holdings of Ted Turner, as of mid-September:
New Mexico: 1,105,905
Nebraska: 425,221
Montana: 153,963
South Dakota: 141,357
Kansas: 42,479
Oklahoma: 41,689
Colorado: 34,868
Florida: 29,530
South Carolina: 10,757
Arkansas: 1,323
Georgia: 537
That’s some beautiful country.
Buy the undeveloped property now. They aren’t making anymore, and it ain’t getting any cheaper. Hard to thieve or vandalize undeveloped land, unless it has desirable timber on it.
Just why is it that people like this dirt bag and Bill Gates and others are allowed monopolies or have the appearances of.
That is a scary thought. Maybe neighbors should do what judge did and start squatting on the property.
Maybe the locals should have bought it, or at least claimed a right of way.
Maybe but he’s a radical environmentalist so I can’t see him wanting a 12 lane superhighway thru his land.
L
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.