A last-minute deal between green groups and Biden officials is under congressional investigation for allegedly forcing family-run ranches off federal lands through secret negotiations and pressure tactics.
Key Facts:
- In January 2025, a settlement forced 12 of 14 ranches in Point Reyes National Seashore to close by 2026.
- Five green groups—including the Nature Conservancy—brokered the deal with the National Park Service.
- House Republicans launched an investigation, citing lack of transparency and economic damage.
- Ranchers were reportedly paid up to $40 million but were forced to sign gag orders.
- Foreign billionaire Hansjörg Wyss helped fund the settlement through major donations.
The Rest of the Story: Biden-Era Land Deal Under Fire
A coalition of green groups and the Biden administration struck a deal in the administration’s final days, effectively shutting down a network of multi-generational ranches in northern California’s Point Reyes National Seashore.
The National Park Service agreed to reclassify leased ranch lands as conservation zones, phasing out beef and dairy operations.
The Nature Conservancy funded the deal and reportedly sent representatives directly to ranchers’ homes to ensure compliance.
Critics claim the process lacked transparency and that ranchers were pressured into accepting payouts under non-disclosure agreements.
The deal followed a 2022 lawsuit by environmental activists alleging that ranching damaged scenic and ecological values.
Now, the House Natural Resources Committee, led by Rep. Bruce Westerman (R-AR), is probing the green groups’ coordination with federal officials.
At stake: whether Biden-era appointees used outside nonprofits to circumvent public input and push ideological land use changes before leaving office.
New: Bill and Nicolette Hahn Niman's lawsuit over the NPS plan to almost eliminate ranching in Point Reyes raises questions about how land that has been farmed for close to two centuries can revert to the way it was before humans intervened. https://t.co/HAwv4MPbQw
— Tara Duggan (@taraduggan) April 9, 2025
Commentary: Green Group Power and Biden’s End Run Around Voters
This isn’t just a bureaucratic land deal.
It looks like a deliberate attempt to bypass democratic accountability and punish rural communities that rely on agriculture for their livelihoods.
That the settlement was finalized just as Biden officials were exiting suggests a calculated move to lock in their agenda before voters could reverse course.
Congress has every reason to investigate.
The use of foreign money—nearly $70 million from Swiss billionaire Hansjörg Wyss—raises serious concerns about outside influence on U.S. land policy.
Americans deserve to know whether their elected government quietly handed over control to ideological nonprofits funded by foreign donors.
Ranchers weren’t simply compensated and asked to leave.
They were silenced through non-disclosure agreements and reportedly pressured to stay quiet by the very agency that’s supposed to serve the public—the National Park Service.
If true, this amounts to coercion using federal authority, with real human costs.
The fact that 150 local ag workers are suing over the deal underscores how deeply this affects real people.
These aren’t corporate farms.
They’re family operations going back generations—integral to local economies and national food production.
The green groups involved didn’t just win a legal battle; they leveraged power behind closed doors to change public policy without debate.
This flies in the face of the people’s will as expressed in the last election.
If this settlement stands, it sets a dangerous precedent for backdoor policymaking with no voter input.
This deal must be revisited.
If wrongdoing is confirmed, all agreements should be voided, and the ranchers given their leases back.
Americans expect policy to be made in the open, not in the final hours of an outgoing administration with the help of billionaire-backed nonprofits.
The Bottom Line: Biden’s Final-Week Land Deal Draws Scrutiny
The Biden administration’s secretive agreement with environmental groups may have cost family ranchers their livelihoods and undermined public trust in federal land policy.
Congress is right to investigate whether this was a politically motivated effort to advance an agenda voters rejected.
What’s at stake isn’t just farmland—it’s the rule of law and the rights of working Americans.
Read Next
– Trump, Hegseth Strike Major Panama Canal Deal, Huge Blow to China
– Tulsi Gabbard Threatens CNN With Massive Lawsuit Over Voter Fraud Smear
– Mexican Cartel Drug Empire Dealt Crippling Blow With Massive U.S. Seizure
– How Jill Biden and Her Lust For Power May Have Saved America
– President Trump Appoints a New Leader For The ATF, Replacing Kash Patel