Ken Calvert: “Mr. Chairman, there is no district in this Congress that has been more affected by private property right disputes than…”

“Mr. Chairman, there is no district in this Congress that has been more affected by private property right disputes than my district. I represent Riverside County where the Stephens kangaroo rat, several weeds, lizards, and bugs have seized control of the land. No longer can private citizens use their property the way they wish, for fear of reprisals from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. One notorious example of this occurred early last year when residents were not allowed to disk their property around their homes in order to protect the kangaroo rat. The consequences of this was disastrous and outright irresponsible. Fires broke out in southern California that destroyed 25,000 acres and 29 homes near Winchester, CA. The irony of that fire is that it destroyed critical habitat area for the species we were supposed to be protecting. I know my colleagues have heard this story before. However, I cannot repeat this story enough. This story is a perfect example of what can go wrong when the Government oppresses honest and hard working citizens. These people deserve compensation for these extreme regulations. They deserve to be heard. They should be treated better than California's furry little friends. The Tauzin amendment would give power back to the people. It would give compensation to landowners who bought their property, and then found a critter or weed was lurking around the corner ready to devalue the land.”