A Homesteader Beats the Forest Service — Then Has to Start All Over
George Neff of the LeClerc district wins back his land claim after a years-long fight with the National Forest Service, only to learn he must live on the property another fourteen months before he can own it.
George Neff, one of the homesteaders in the LeClerc district, whose homestead proof was contested by officials of the National Forest Service, has received notice that his entry has been restored. On the first review of the testimony in this case by the Spokane Land Office Neff's commutation proof was approved. The Forest Service appealed to the General Land Office at Washington, where a decision was rendered against Mr. Neff. He appealed to the Secretary of the Interior and again lost out, but succeeded in having the case re-opened by filing additional affidavits and testimony with Secretary Ballinger, and last week received notice that his right to entry on the land in question had been restored to him. It will be necessary for him to take up his residence as in the first instance and again live the required period of fourteen months before he can commute. He is now making arrangements to move onto the land.
“It will be necessary for him to take up his residence as in the first instance and again live the required period of fourteen months before he can commute.”
The fight between homesteaders and the National Forest Service over who could claim Western land was one of the defining conflicts of the early 20th century — a preview of today's battles over public lands, grazing rights and rural property. Neff's victory came with a catch: after years of appeals, he had to start his residency clock over from scratch. The episode shows how bureaucratic process, not just law, decided who got to keep the ground under their feet.
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