Graves Introduces Bill to Protect Landowner Rights

WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman Sam Graves (MO-06) introduced the Rails to Trails Landowner Rights Act today. The bill strengthens landowner rights to stop federal land seizures. 

“Our right to own property, to farm, and to provide for our families is sacred,” said Graves. “The Founding Fathers sought to protect landowners from government land grabs with the Fifth Amendment. Sadly, Washington bureaucrats don’t seem to miss an opportunity to go after our rights. They’ve got to be held accountable so we can protect landowner rights and stop these federal land grabs.”

The Rails to Trails Landowner Rights Act reigns in the Surface Transportation Board’s Rails to Trails program, which allows the federal government to take former railroad corridors and give those corridors to third parties for use as recreational trails. This broken process violates the constitutional rights of landowners and unfairly cuts them out of the process. Graves’ legislation would require trail sponsors to get sign off from all impacted landowners and fully compensate landowners when a project moves forward.

The Rails to Trails Landowner Rights Act is cosponsored by Reps. Virginia Foxx (NC-05), Ann Wagner (MO-02), Mark Alford (MO-04), Harriet Hageman (WY-AL), and Bob Onder (MO-03).

You can read the Rails to Trails Landowner Rights Act here.

What They Are Saying:

Missouri Farm Bureau President Garrett Hawkins:

“Missouri Farm Bureau has long stood up for the rights of property owners, and we remain concerned about the impact of the federal Rails to Trails program, which can convert unused rail corridors into public trails without the consent of those who own the land. Safeguarding private property rights is fundamental to our mission. We commend Chairman Graves for his unwavering commitment to ensuring landowners have a voice in these decisions. As this legislation moves forward, we are eager to collaborate with Chairman Graves, his colleagues in Congress, and an expanding coalition of supporters who share our dedication to protecting property rights and finding common ground on this important issue.”

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