Do the natural resources in the USA belong to the citizens of the country or to corporations?

Question

Is it fair or just that people can own the land yet not the rights to the minerals under it? These corporations, by virtue of their mineral rights, can force the landowners off the land for the purpose of extracting these minerals.

Rick - the example I'm using is a large parcel of property in Montana. Passed down through 3 generations, mineral rights weren't an issue when the property was first purchased. They were purchased by a Canadian mining firm. They set up shop in the property and in essence forced the family from the land. All tried and apparently legal. Morally reprehensible, but legal.

Answer 1

Here in Florida it's a common practice for big developments to keep the land your house sits on. Another underhanded business practice in our wonderful country.

Answer 2

Mineral Right come in all forms and shapes and sizes. In the case you mentioned in Montana back in the turn of the Century Mining Companies would come to a land owner offering little or nothing and at that time the landowners either knew little or it didn't make any difference.

However in our area the Cost of Mining then putting the Land back the way it should be or better after mining has driven up the cost so much unless there is a Big enough Pocket of Mineral Mining Companies are abandoning some claims and releasing them. Good and Bad.

However if we continue not in my back yard pc crowd No Oil drilling here and there. And like Walter Croncrite near his home in Nantucket doesn't want a Wind fan farm. And god forbid Drilling in North Alaska. Yes I've been and seen Strip mines that today is waste land and its not a pretty sight. But we don't want to Grow Corn for Oil. Don't want Oil from the Mid East. and so forth.

Answer 3

All resources belong equally to the people, but their management is legally obligated to the elected government.. this is the problem..

The government has been infiltrated by the self serving leeches who now use the resources for their own exclusive benefit and the average citizen misses out completely..

just like power and water resources.. most of which are diverted to big business while the average citizen is constantly slugged a higher price as resources are evermore "limited"... yeah limited because there's so many massive businesses using energy and water.. so many businesses who have had rivers diverted into their fields..

The government is entrusted ot make the right decisions for the greater good of the people.. therin lies the economic quandry between the left and the right..

the right who tend to be the rich who benefit.. fully support an increase ot government power and increase emphasis on economic growth..

The left wing.. knows this means resources will be squeezed and fed to the ultra rich right wingers who will just make more and more money.. while hospitals and schools start to crumble..

each side has its arguement.. but i think when citizens cant survive that the balance has been overshot..

Answer 4

The natural resources belong to whoever owns them (if you're talking about things, like land, that can be owned). Corporations, due to a crazy court ruling have the same rights as individuals, so they can own anything a real person could, including 'mineral rights.'

But, whether someone owns the mineral rights to your property depends on whether whoever owned those rights sold them to you or to someone else. Most residences are zoned such that thier mineral rights can't be utilized, anyway, though.

Answer 5

Hmmmmmmm, so your saying its moraly responsible to sell the mineral rights under your land to a corporation.

And then deny the corporation the right to access those minerals ?

In the 3 generations that owned that property, did they even once try to purchase the mineral rights back from the corporation which owned them?

If not, why are they crying over spilled milk now ??

Answer 6

Have to agree with Rick N. Normally mineral rights go with ownership of the property. Some owners, for whatever reason, sell their mineral rights. When buying property, you have to check title to make sure what you're buying.

Answer 7

before everything, yours is an extremely complicated and massive fact. Years in the past down Mexico way, after the U.S. firms got here across, stepped forward and outfitted the Mexican oil industry the Mexican government nationalized the industry, kicked out each and all of the U.S. businesses and in no way paid a dime in reparation. in addition, it replaced into the British and U.S. who discoverd and stepped forward the Arabian oil industry. We, interior the Western countries are being held hostage and being bled, no longer via the U.S. oil businesses yet via the greed of those distant places oil countries. they might cut back the fee of a barrel of oil via seventy 5% the next day and nevertheless make a much better than passable income. i will admit, the present administration in Washington has a deplorable attractiveness while it consists of distant places affairs. yet ask your self this: WHY DOES everybody pick emigrate TO THE U.S.? undergo in innovations, we are the main helpful and wealthiest countries interior the international and the "have nots" will consistently be green with envy and jealous.

Answer 8

This is an issue of contract law. I don't care how many generations the land rights have been separated from the mineral rights. It's an easement/ land use/ contracts issue.

To answer your question: The corporations are also owned by citizens.

Answer 9

I don't know which state you are talking about, but, in OK, if it is your land, you can sell the rights of your land-it is still your land, but the minerals belong to the state.

Answer 10

They belong to whoever owns them.

Of course, respect of property rights is a foundation of freedom and liberty and prosperity, and I find it quite unethical and contrary to citizens' rights to be forced off one's land.