Haywood County is involved in another lawsuit, which may cost them $500,000. The courts ruled that the county abused Constitutional rights in attempting to enforce its erosion control ordinance. Unfortunately, the offenses pertain not to a person’s right to do as he pleases with his own property. They pertain to whether or not the state or local government has a right to decide what somebody will do on their own property. Also at stake are questions of whether or not certain activities may take place on land zoned “forestry,” which depends on whether those activities were classified as “forest-exempt,” or, in other words, whether those activities were in accordance with best practices for harvesting timber. Evidently, Haywood County changed the forest exemption on a parcel for which the owners had already submitted a development master plan, but didn’t bother to inform the owners.
by Leslee Kulba
Wild West blogger