( Ted ) Turner 'almost done' buying up ranchland

Omaha World-Herald ^ | February 7, 2008 | PAUL HAMMEL

[george76]

CNN founder Ted Turner, the largest private landowner in Nebraska and the United States and the nation's largest bison rancher, said Wednesday that he is about done buying new ranches.

He said he would like to reach 2 million acres nationwide before he dies — about 40,000 acres more than he currently owns.

"I'm almost done. I've got enough," said Turner...

The 69-year-old billionaire, philanthropist and conservationist said he isn't interested in free-standing ranches anymore, only "reasonably priced" parcels adjacent to his current operations, which include five ranches in Nebraska near Gordon, Oshkosh and Mullen. The ranches cover 425,221 acres, an area larger than Douglas and Sarpy Counties combined.

"You know what 2 million acres is?" Turner asked over a plate of bison miniburgers and transfat-free onion rings. "If my land was all connected, in one long straight line, a mile deep, it would stretch from New York to San Francisco."

Then he joked: "I've been thinking about doing some swaps. I'd be able to cut the United States in half and charge people from going from the north to the south."

Turner answered questions on a broad range of subjects — his political preferences, the profitability of bison, his shrinking fortune and conspiracy theories ...

[2banana]

I say we nationalize his land - just like his hero Hugo does...

[Disturbin]

Yeah, I think 2,000,000 acres is “about enough.”

Then again, I’m content with my 1/3-acre.

[RexBeach]

Ted, you magnificent putz!

[Disturbin]

Just think how many illegal aliens you could fit onto that land.

[gramho12]

What an ass....

[Resolute Conservative]

I sure he is leaving it to non-Americans.

[beethovenfan]

Your acreage won’t do you any good when you’re dead, Ted.
Land rich and spiritually poor.

[knarf]

OK ... what's in Nebraska?

Coal?

Oil?

Johnny Carson's boyhood home?

[the gillman@blacklagoon.com]

Maybe he can skip the buying land and get right to the dropping dead part.

[george76]

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

[Non-Sequitur]

Beef and buffalo.

[Michael.SF.]

OK ... what's in Nebraska?

Water. One of the countries largest natural aquifers runs under Nebraska, relatively close to the surface in some areas.

[cizinec]

Has anyone read Tolstoy’s short story “How much land does a man need”?

In the end, he’ll get just as much land as Pahom. 6 feet from his head to his toes.

[george76]

[RonF]

A goodly chunk of that New Mexico acreage is next to Philmont Scout Reservation. Perhaps he could be persuaded to donate that acreage to the BSA when he’s done with it.

[babble-on]

Ted wants the Buffalo Commons to be created.

[Michael.SF.]

Map of Oglalla Aquifer (Link at #7)

[Constitution Day]

Acres of land holdings of Ted Turner, as of mid-September:
New Mexico: 1,105,905

WTFIIWNM indeed.

[Michael.SF.]

I am confident that his reasons are not altogether altruistic.

[Right Wing Assault]

I've got enough

Oh, shoot! I don't have my Capt. Obvious picture on this computer!

But it's OK for wealthy liberals to hog up resources but not for wealthy Republicans. Those are the rules.

[george76]

” Turner bought Vermejo, the Forest Service bought the Baca Ranch in North Central NM...”

ht Ben Ficklin

[george76]

http://www.vermejoparkranch.com/

[george76]

Turner’s Land Holdings Keep Increasing

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1867624/posts

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1872774/posts

[LucyT]

largest natural aquifers

Rumor says Paraguay has the largest natural aquifer in the world and is the reason President Bush bought the ranch that sits atop it.

[gridlock]

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

New Jersey may have toxic waste dumps, but at least we have zero acres owned by Ted Turner.

[knarf]

Now THAT'S an interesting piece of information I never got in geography class.

Thank you.

[mpstan]

It's amazing how much land you can buy from tax payer funded agricultural subsidies.

[Cicero]

Mmmm. Buffalo burgers.

[Anti-Bubba182]

Find a reefer in his car and confiscate everything!

[jazusamo]

The turkey is scary, and certifiable!

Thanks for the ping.

[Chickensoup]

I wonder what this leftist’s carbon footprint looks like.

[reformedliberal]

Do you have any source for the *Bush owns land in Paraguay* runor? I ask because years ago, National Geographic ran a cover story on Paraguay and it turns out Ted Turner, Soros, Cher and assorted billionaire celeberties have all purchased retreats there. The reasons were that, being in the Southern Hemisphere, Paraguay would escape the fallout of a nuke in the US. Turner himself has been quoted (sorry, no link, just my recollection) as saying that his ranch in Paraguay was an escape hatch for the time when *the revolution* took place.

[Moonman62]

That’s what I’ve read. His real interest is water rights.

[LucyT]

I never divulge my source of rumors unless someone is pounding bamboo sticks under my fingernails, but check out this.

http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=navclient&aq=t&ie=UTF-8&rls=GGLG,GGLG:2006-24,GGLG:en&q=Bush+buys+ranch+in+argentina

[george76]

Thanks.

[blam]

"Turner himself has been quoted (sorry, no link, just my recollection) as saying that his ranch in Paraguay was an escape hatch for the time when *the revolution* took place."

I've read that myself.

[reformedliberal]

Not exactly the most reliable sources, although one said it was for an ecological reserve.

At least the rumor will give the ultra-left uber-rich nightmares.

[Western Phil]

“OK ... what’s in Nebraska?

Sand with a little grass on it. His land is all in the Sandhills. Good ranch country.

[Bruce 22-250]

Old Ted what a guy. He had Ruckus meeting on his property doante to save the wolves. But then make sure the wolves can’t get on his property demonizes hunting then sells high dollars hunts on his ranch.

[Squantos]

I have a ball mason jar full of dirt !

[hiredhand]

How much land does a man need? :-)

[Eaker]

Hide it.

I heard that Turner was after yer mason jar!

[glorgau]

Many in Nebraska's Sand Hills and Panhandle worry that Turner's land eventually will become a buffalo park, taking it off the tax rolls and shifting more of the tax burden to them.

Farmers and ranchers terrified by the prospect of paying something to the government instead of living on subsidies.

[dljordan]

“I’ve read that myself.”

The Bush’s have a little 100,000 acre spread down there too.

[blam]

"The Bush’s have a little 100,000 acre spread down there too."

Yup. See LucyT's post #35.

[SunkenCiv]

Not that I’m a jerk or anything, but I’m really looking forward to the day he drops dead.

[endthematrix]

WTF? Truly, we must cue spooky music on this one!