AUSTIN — Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association (TSCRA) president Richard Thorpe penned a letter on Tuesday to voice TSCRA’s strong support of the Red River Gradient Boundary Survey Act.

The Act, filed by U.S. Rep. Mac Thornberry and Sen. John Cornyn, will finally provide legal certainty to landowners along the Red River who have faced an unprecedented land grab by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM). Since 2014, the BLM has laid claim to an estimated 30,000 acres of privately owned property along a 116 mile stretch of the Red River. Their attempted seizure has left innocent families in debt and legal limbo as they fight to keep land that they have owned for generations.

“Texas has a proud tradition of private property rights. Ranchers and agriculture producers are some of the best and proudest stewards of Texas’ 142 million privately owned acres,” said TSCRA president Richard Thorpe. “I’m proud to have partners like Congressman Thornberry and Sen. Cornyn in Washington who are willing to take up the fight for our rights, legacy and future.”

The legislation calls for a survey of the contested area using the gradient boundary survey method developed and backed by the U.S. Supreme Court to find the proper ownership boundary between public and private lands. Further, it provides Texas and Oklahoma the authority to oversee the survey and approve the results. Finally, it will provide for a notification and a copy of the survey to be sent to each individual land owner who is affected.

To read the letter TSCRA submitted to the Subcommittee on Public Lands and Environmental Regulation, click here.

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TSCRA is a 140-year-old trade association and is the largest and oldest livestock organization based in Texas. TSCRA has more than 17,500 beef cattle operations, ranching families and businesses as members. These members represent approximately 55,000 individuals directly involved in ranching and beef production who manage 4 million head of cattle on 76 million acres of range and pasture land primarily in Texas and Oklahoma, but throughout the Southwest.

For more TSCRA news releases, visit tscra.org.