Public lands access clashes with private property rights as Wilkses lock up land

As Texas billionaires Dan and Farris Wilks buy up hundreds of square miles of private forest land in Idaho, they are blocking off roads on their property that connect to vast swaths of public land. And that has many who have historically used those roads

[michaelr.]

When I was looking for a house, I was shown properties that were accessed by a private road. When I asked who owned the road and was told it was someone else but, “It’s OK, they let all the property owners use it”, I passed. There is no way I was paying for a house without a legal right to access it. This situation stinks, but they are the owners. The government should have purchased the road or legal access rights from the previous owners, if they wanted perpetual access. If the government really did pay to build or maintain the road, they should have insisted on that as a condition. Hold your government accountable.

[albert]

If the road is NOT part of their property, they cannot block it. If it is part of their property the county and state need to provide other access options.

[briangagne]

These roads are gazetted roads and therefore cannot be turned into private roads

[toothbrush]

The previous owner allowed the public access to some parts of this land that does not make it public property. Its private property period end he could do what he wants with it also keeping the public off of his land avoids lawsuits

[brandondunnegan]

Well when you legally sell the land. You legally give the land owners the right to use the land as they see fit. Or to limit access to the land as they see fit

[spaceracer]

Dont build public roads on private property without compensation. This is 100% on the county.

[madmartigan]

They're just not willing to take the risk of being responsible for other people on their property

[jamesborck]

They bought the land and are selling the roads back to the county lol

[dudzinski]

What part of private don’t these people understand?

[baltsosser]

NO public land access has been denied to anyone...they just can't trespass to go there via private property.

[kharnthebetrayer]

If it’s a Forest service road as she said . The new owners have no rights to stop people from using the road, since the road would belong to the US Forest Service .

[eugenewall]

Easy to fix, buy private land along the roads leading to their property, then close the roads there and don't allow them access across your property to get to theirs.
When they claim you can't block access to their land, tell them you're protecting the public land beyond which belongs to you as a taxpayer. Same argument they are using.

[ephanhymerable]

Maybe if ppl weren't idiots that trashed every land they walk on, the Wilks wouldn't have to take such measures

[soillife]

Way to many private land owners have been sued by these city folks.
Fall off the utv, get hurt.
Lawsuit filed against land owner.
Stay off private land.
Unless you sign a release and get permission.

[joejohnson]

So who gets sued if someone gets injured or killed on these roads ? The city, the county or the owners of the property ? What part of private property do these people not understand ?

[Thehappybirder]

I am very much an outdoors person and most of the people that I encounter in my journeys just trash the outdoor places that they are in.

[LavaLands]

Did I miss something . . . isn't it PRIVATE LAND?

[tasteslikeawesome]

Their land, their rules. The public lands aren’t landlocked, you just have to go another way.

[akivatalansky]

In my area, there's part of a national park that is located at the end of a peninsula behind a private community. There is one public road that runs through to the end. However, there have been some problems with visitors trying to get through to the park.

[TheFrogInYourClosetWatchingYou]

5:10 community needs or community WANTS? It sounds like the owner is willing to allow access if the city pays for the rights to access it.... Nothing wrong with that