Land, Energy & Resources
Leases, permits, easements, and the environmental limits that run with rural and resource land.
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Land, Energy & Resources
Farm Leases and Crop Share Arrangements
A farm lease is either cash rent or a share of the crop, and the choice determines who carries price and yield risk, how income is taxed, and what security the landlord has.
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Land, Energy & Resources
Right-to-Farm Laws and Nuisance Claims
Right-to-farm statutes give established agricultural operations a defense against nuisance claims brought by neighbors, subject to conditions that vary considerably among the states.
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Land, Energy & Resources
Oil and Gas Leases: Royalties, Pooling, and Shut-In Clauses
An oil and gas lease grants the right to develop for a primary term that continues only so long as production holds it, with royalty, pooling, and shut-in clauses defining the payment and the extension.
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Land, Energy & Resources
Solar and Wind Land Leases: Term, Decommissioning, and Taxes
A solar or wind lease commits land for decades across several distinct phases. The landowner's leverage is at signing, and the terms that matter most are removal security, title, and taxes.
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Land, Energy & Resources
Grazing Permits and Public Land Use
Grazing on federal rangeland is authorized by permit, not by right. Permits attach to qualifying base property and are administered through allotment management plans.
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Land, Energy & Resources
Endangered Species Restrictions on Land Use
The Endangered Species Act prohibits take of listed species anywhere, including private land, and provides two routes to authorized incidental take depending on whether a federal action is involved.
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Land, Energy & Resources
Wetlands Permitting Under the Clean Water Act
A federal permit is required to discharge dredged or fill material into waters of the United States. The Corps issues the permit, EPA oversees it, and jurisdiction narrowed in 2023.
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Land, Energy & Resources
Mineral Rights Severance and Surface Owner Protection
A severed mineral estate is generally dominant over the surface, carrying an implied right of reasonable use. Many states have added notice, accommodation, and damage requirements.
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Land, Energy & Resources
Agricultural Liens and Commodity Payment Protections
Several overlapping systems decide who is paid for delivered farm commodities: state agricultural liens, the federal clear title provision, and statutory trusts for produce and livestock sellers.
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Land, Energy & Resources
Pipeline and Utility Easements and Condemnation
A utility or pipeline acquires a right of way by negotiated easement or by condemnation, with compensation measured by the taking's effect on the whole property.
