Largest Private Landowners -- 2013

[smstonypoint]

Each year, the Land Report Magazine reports the 100 largest private landowners in the US. I posted a thread for the 2012 report at http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/rural-living/260489-largest-100-private-landowners-us.html

The 2013 report is now available at The Land Report - Fall 2013 beginning at page 66.

John Malone with 2.2M acres and Ted Turner with 2M acres again head the list. Both gentlemen own more acreage than the areas of Delaware (1.251M acres) and Rhode Island (0.677M acres) combined.

Did any of you make the list? You only need 100K acres.

Steve

 

[Lou66]

I made the list on the 100 smallest land owners.. Lou

 

[JGinNC]

Shoot. I thought you were talking about the largest land owners by girth.

 

[Jstpssng]

Huh, I missed it again this year.

 

[Ridgewalker]

I've got 51 where do I rank?

 

[smstonypoint]

I've got 51 where do I rank?

I am sorry to report that you fall in the NEC* category.

Steve

* Not Even Close

 

[Sysop]

Each year, the Land Report Magazine reports the 100 largest private landowners in the US. I posted a thread for the 2012 report at http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/rural-living/260489-largest-100-private-landowners-us.html

The 2013 report is now available at The Land Report - Fall 2013 beginning at page 66.

John Malone with 2.2M acres and Ted Turner with 2M acres again head the list. Both gentlemen own more acreage than the areas of Delaware (1.251M acres) and Rhode Island (0.677 acres) combined.

Did any of you make the list? You only need 100K acres.

Steve

Rhode Island is a bit over a half acre? I guess our dollars ain't the only thing getting smaller with inflation! :laughing:

 

[duke7595]

It is wonderful to own so much land or is it ? I don't think anyone, no matter how much, or little land we own is of much consequence.
If you give it some thought no one really owns anything. We are at best stewards of what we control, before we controlled the land we live on someone else
did, and when we pass on so is the land passed on.

 

[smstonypoint]

Rhode Island is a bit over a half acre? I guess our dollars ain't the only thing getting smaller with inflation! :laughing:

Oops.

Thanks, I have corrected the original post.

Steve

 

[dave1949]

It is wonderful to own so much land or is it ? I don't think anyone, no matter how much, or little land we own is of much consequence.
If you give it some thought no one really owns anything. We are at best stewards of what we control, before we controlled the land we live on someone else
did, and when we pass on so is the land passed on.

I think for owners like Ted Turner, the consequence is what happens to the land in the long term after he is gone. With lawyers and money , a person can try to control the use of the land for generations. Some of our nicer National Parks came into existence that way.

IIRC Ted owns quite a few bison on more or less natural prairie lands spread across his various holdings. Malone is into conservation also.

 

[Jstpssng]

I am sorry to report that you fall in the NEC* category.

Steve

* Not Even Close

That must put me and my 22 acres in the EFA category... "Even Farther Away"

I think for owners like Ted Turner, the consequence is what happens to the land in the long term after he is gone. With lawyers and money , a person can try to control the use of the land for generations. Some of our nicer National Parks came into existence that way.

IIRC Ted owns quite a few bison on more or less natural prairie lands spread across his various holdings. Malone is into conservation also.

Looking through the list, many of those mentioned have been in the family for several generations. These families are more inclined to pass on their values, although there's always one owner who wants to make a quick killing. Several of these ownerships are partly or all here in Maine; Malone, JDIrving, Cassidy, Millikan... I'm quite familiar with the last two families and the heirs are quite motivated to do the right thing with the land.

 

[NorTracNY]

How many of those acres are in New York, where the taxes are so expensive that you couldn't afford to "do nothing" with the land?

 

[oldballs]

At a recent event where a Native Ameriican (Osage) spoke, he mentioned that it is only Indian reservation land that is actually "owned". ..... viz., even a local government can take an emminent domain action on everybody else. But that probably doesn't include Mr. Turner.

 

[smstonypoint]

How many of those acres are in New York, where the taxes are so expensive that you couldn't afford to "do nothing" with the land?

The article doesn't mention any of his property in the East. Apparently, most of his property is in the West. The article mentions three ranches in New Mexico -- one @ 590,823 acres, a second @156,439 acres, and a third @ 362,885 acres.

Does NY have use-value assessment (i.e., lower property taxes) for qualifying ag. and forestry land?

I pay a much lower rate on the 85 acres of my NC farm that are covered by my forest management plan, and the regular rate on my five-acre homestead (house, barns, etc.).

Steve