In article ,
(Rich Stern) writes:
| You guys get free use of resources the rest of the country subsidizes,
| the quality is great, the cost is very low. Of course you don't
| complain. :-)
|
| Explain again please why the taxpayers of Minnesota or Mississippi
| should pay money so that you folks can have lake cabins for almost free?
| And what about the folks in the area who didn't get in on the gravy?
| They are paying more taxes than they would if you guys had to pay market
| type taxes.
|
| Just a contrary point of view. Same thing happened here in Minnesota
| with state land in the school trust that was supposed to be generating
| money for schools, but was being leased for cabins on lakes at way below
| market rates with no property tax on the land. Took a lawsuit to fix
| it.
|
| del cecchi
|
| Del, not quite as lopsided as you depict.
|
| First of all, the lakes generate cheap, clean electricity. That limits
| pollution, which is good for everyone. And it keeps us from being in the
| market for electricity from other, more electrically challenged regions, which
| keeps national prices down.
|
| Second, the lakes help prevent flooding, which keeps insurance costs low, and
| avoids "federal disaster area" costs like those racked up by the hudreds of
| millions of dollars in places the Midwest.
|
| It's not like the school trust situation you depict. Nobody is leasing the COE
| managed land at below market rates. It's there for public use. It's unbuilt.
| If you ask nicely, the COE will let you maintain a 4 foot wide path across
| their land to the water. If you pay a permit fee, they'll let you have a dock
| on their waterline. If you pay a fee, they'll let you camp at one of their
| campgrounds. If you pay a fee, they'll let you launch from one of their boat
| ramps.
|
| You are welcome anytime. Bring money for fees.
|
|
So if the COE only controls a little strip of land, what are they going to
transfer to the state? Sounded like a whole bunch of land surrounding the res.
was federal property. And it sounded like a bunch of folks getting a free ride,
from a tax standpoint. So how much land are we talking about here?



--

Del Cecchi

Personal Opinions Only

So if the COE only controls a little strip of land, what are they going to
transfer to the state? Sounded like a whole bunch of land surrounding the
res.
was federal property.

With the exception of campgrounds and ramp/parking areas, it is only a small
strip of land, defined by elevation below a certain point above sea level. On
my property, it translates to about 200 feet from the waterline. It depends on
the topology.

I don't know the acreage, perhaps in the many thousands, but quite literally in
the shape of a thin, hollow slice, ghosting the border of the waterline, across
many counties, and two states. Roads and utilities to the land would require
ridiculous easements. Any development would take place very close to the lake,
and would obviously be more envrionmentally impactful than the buffer the COE
currently has established. It's heavily wooded and very clean land because the
COE does a nice job of preventing people from messing it up.


-- Rich Stern
www.nitroowners.com - The Nitro and Tracker Owners Web Site
www.mypontoon.com - The Pontoon Boat Web Site
www.fishingreportdatabase.com - The Fishing Report Database
www.mysporttrac.com - The Sport Trac Web Site

"Rich Stern" wrote in message
...
So if the COE only controls a little strip of land, what are they
going to
transfer to the state? Sounded like a whole bunch of land
surrounding the
res.
was federal property.

With the exception of campgrounds and ramp/parking areas, it is only a
small
strip of land, defined by elevation below a certain point above sea
level. On
my property, it translates to about 200 feet from the waterline. It
depends on
the topology.

I don't know the acreage, perhaps in the many thousands, but quite
literally in
the shape of a thin, hollow slice, ghosting the border of the
waterline, across
many counties, and two states. Roads and utilities to the land would
require
ridiculous easements. Any development would take place very close to
the lake,
and would obviously be more envrionmentally impactful than the buffer
the COE
currently has established. It's heavily wooded and very clean land
because the
COE does a nice job of preventing people from messing it up.


So the COE has the job of enforcing regs on tens/hundreds of miles by
200 feet or so of land? Sounds like a big job. Perhaps they could sell
it to the folks who adjoin it? Then it's not their problem, the state
gets its tax base, and the existing property owners don't get abused. I
know that having the gubmint provide it free is a nice little perk, but
most of it doesn't really serve the common good. If a random individual
from Minnesota were to show up, what would he be allowed to do on this
public land? Can I hike? Camp? Have a party? Use the Beach?

Del

Yes to all of those questions. The COE manages to surrounding land so the
lake does not fill up with silt. They also make sure that there are plenty
of public access for boat ramps, public parks and beaches and areas for
fishing and camping.

The COE manages the surrounding land to insure the long term benefit for
everyone, not the short term benefit for a few.


"del cecchi" wrote in message
...

"Rich Stern" wrote in message
...
So if the COE only controls a little strip of land, what are they
going to
transfer to the state? Sounded like a whole bunch of land
surrounding the
res.
was federal property.

With the exception of campgrounds and ramp/parking areas, it is only a
small
strip of land, defined by elevation below a certain point above sea
level. On
my property, it translates to about 200 feet from the waterline. It
depends on
the topology.

I don't know the acreage, perhaps in the many thousands, but quite
literally in
the shape of a thin, hollow slice, ghosting the border of the
waterline, across
many counties, and two states. Roads and utilities to the land would
require
ridiculous easements. Any development would take place very close to
the lake,
and would obviously be more envrionmentally impactful than the buffer
the COE
currently has established. It's heavily wooded and very clean land
because the
COE does a nice job of preventing people from messing it up.


So the COE has the job of enforcing regs on tens/hundreds of miles by
200 feet or so of land? Sounds like a big job. Perhaps they could sell
it to the folks who adjoin it? Then it's not their problem, the state
gets its tax base, and the existing property owners don't get abused. I
know that having the gubmint provide it free is a nice little perk, but
most of it doesn't really serve the common good. If a random individual
from Minnesota were to show up, what would he be allowed to do on this
public land? Can I hike? Camp? Have a party? Use the Beach?

Del