This is the story of John Yearwood who owns the property at the corner of Old Hwy 195 and Ronald Reagan Blvd.
Army veteran fighting government for regulating part of his farm to protect spiders
WILLIAMSON COUNTY, Texas (WZTV) – An Army veteran who served his country in the Vietnam War is suing the federal government for regulating part of his family farm over spiders.
John Yearwood runs a small business and lives on the family farm which has been in the family since 1871, nearly 150 years. Spanning 865 acres in Williamson County, Texas, Yearwood is faced with being unable to use part of his land because of a tiny spider he's never seen.
In a lawsuit filed by the non-profit American Stewards of Liberty on behalf of Yearwood, the suit claims the U.S. Department of the Interior is using the Interstate Commerce Clause to keep him from using part of the land due to an obscure cave spider species.
According to the lawsuit, the government is using the clause to protect the Bone Cave Harvestman, a tiny spider which only exists in underground caves in two central Texas counties. It is believed this species of spider lives on Yearwood's family land. The spider is considered endangered, thus protected under the Endangered Species Act.
Due to the endangered designation, Yearwood would be committing a federal crime if he did anything to harm or disturb the habitat of the Bone Cave Havestman spiders. The situation has put Yearwood's family in a tight position according to the American Stewards of Liberty. The organization states Yearwood has used the land for community benefit, allowing church groups, youth groups, and 4-H clubs to use the property for camping. However, the best part of their land for camping is also home to where the spiders are believed to live underground.
The suit states if Yearwood wanted to clear brush, camp, or build something within 345 feet of where the spiders live, he would have to pay for a permit requiring $10,000 per acre. Development within 35 feet of a cave would require him to pay $400,000.
American Stewards for Liberty says the issue has put Yearwood's private property rights in limbo and say it is unconstitutional, which is why they filed the original suit in 2017, litigation continuing to this day. "That's why we are suing the federal government to get them to leave him alone and to leave his private property rights alone," says General Counsel Robert Henneke.
See the full lawsuit below or CLICK HERE:
No comments:
Post a Comment