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Missouri farmers just want their land back
A Missouri farmer is in limbo waiting for compensation for his farmland taken as part of an easement for the proposed Rock Island Trail.
Andy Oligschlager has a crop and cattle farm along what was the old Long Island railroad in Miller County, Missouri. He was first contacted five years ago that Ameren UE was willing to give up the easement where 2-and-a-half miles of his farm lies.
Meanwhile, landowners are suing the federal government for compensation, “I think I’m like a lot of the landowners. I wish that they’d just give us our land back and we’d be happy. We don’t really want compensated for it, we’d just really rather have our land back.”
Oligschlager says there has not been a usage agreement signed by the Missouri DNR – so the proposed trail keeps getting pushed back.
Another Missouri farmer tells Brownfield Ag News he doesn’t want money for his farmland easement that might be used for a future trail in his area.
Chris Brundick raises crops and cattle near Argyle in Central Missouri and says he would gladly take his property back in lieu of compensation, “But, that’s not going to happen whether it became a trail or not because the federal government is the one that has assumed the right of way to the corridor. So it still is a takings whether it becomes a trail or not.”
Brundick says landowners are being taken advantage of either way, “In this case, the judges are saying if it doesn’t become a trail compensation is not due. And that is clearly a violation of the constitution.”
The federal government has sued saying they don’t owe the landowners money.
Brundick says the proposed Rock Island Trail would run right through his farm and those of many others who do not want the world going through their land. Brundick is also the mayor of Argyle, a village of 150 people.
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