Case Law Index
Conservation Programs

January 1, 2002 - March 1, 2011

This index provides a comprehensive though not necessarily exhaustive compilation of reported and unreported federal and state court decisions involving the conservation programs that were decided on or after January 1, 2002. For those cases that have been summarized by the National Agricultural Law Center, a link is provided to the summary. The index will be regularly updated to reflect new judicial developments. The cases are listed in reverse chronological order.



SUPREME COURT


Graham County Soil & Water Conservation Dist. v. United States ex rel. Wilson, 545 U.S. 409 (2005) (False Claims Act)  Text



THIRD CIRCUIT


Marslette v. Glickman, No. Civ.A. 00-509-SLR, 2003 WL 21035015 (D. Del. April 28, 2003) (discrimination claim)

Marslette v. Glickman, No. Civ.A. 00-816-SLR, 2003 WL 1697535 (D. Del. March 26, 2003) (discrimination claim)



FOURTH CIRCUIT


U.S. ex rel. Wilson v. Graham County Soil & Water Conservation Dist., 528 F.3d 292 (4th Cir. 2008) (False Claim Act)  Text

Holly Hill Farm Corp. v. United States, 447 F.3d 258 (4th Cir. 2006) (Swampbuster benefit eligibility)  Text

United States ex rel. Wilson v. Graham County Soil & Water Conservation Dist., 224 F. Supp. 2d 1042 (W.D.N.C. 2002) (False Claims Act)  Text

United States ex rel. Wilson v. Graham County Soil & Water Conservation Dist., No. Civ. 2:01CV19, 2002 WL 31455718 (W.D.N.C. May 30, 2002) (False Claims Act)

United States ex rel. Wilson v. Graham County Soil & Water Conservation Dist., No. 2:01CV19-T, 2002 WL 487162 (W.D.N.C. Mar. 25, 2002) (False Claims Act)



FIFTH CIRCUIT


Dawson Farms, LLC v. Farm Serv. Agency, 504 F.3d 592 (5th Cir. 2007) (failure to exhaust administrative remedies)  Text

Barrientos v. United States, Civil Action No. L-05-163, 2006 WL 2414348 (S.D. Tex. Aug. 14, 2006) (breach of contract)   Summary

In re Baker, 307 B.R. 860 (Bankr. N.D. Tex. 2003) (homestead exemption)  Text   |    Summary



SIXTH CIRCUIT


Durbin v. Farm Serv. Agency, No. C2:05-CV-566, 2007 WL 1114986 (S.D. Ohio April 13, 2007) (wetland determination)



SEVENTH CIRCUIT


Bedeker v. United States, Nos. 07 C 6014, 08 C 1711, 2009 WL 691288 (N.D. Ill. Mar. 23, 2009) (violation of Swampbuster)

Horn Farms, Inc. v. Johanns, 397 F.3d 472 (7th Cir. 2005) (wetland conversion)  Text

Horn Farms, Inc. v. Veneman, 319 F. Supp. 2d 902 (N.D. Ind. 2004) (wetland conversion)  Text



EIGHTH CIRCUIT


B & D Land & Livestock Co. v. Schafer, 584 F.Supp.2d 1182 (N.D. Iowa 2008) (violations of Swampbuster)  Text   |    Summary

Clark v. U.S. Dep't of Agric., 537 F.3d 934 (8th Cir. 2008) (wetlands determination)  Text   |    Summary

Wheeler v. USDA, No. Civ. 05-1052, 2008 WL 220614 (D. S.D. Jan. 24, 2008) (False claims)

In re Houston, 385 B.R. 268 (Bankr. N.D. Iowa 2008) (Fraudulent transfer of CRP payments)  Text

Groenendyk v. Johanns, No.4:06-CV-00212 JAJ, 2008 WL 428157 (S.D. Iowa Feb. 12, 2008) (review of wetlands determination)

Wolfhole, Inc. v. USDA, No. 1:07CV73 CDP, 2008 WL 1805369 (E.D. Mo. April 17, 2008) (Conservation Security Program)

B & D Land & Livestock Co. v. Conner, No. C 07-3070-MWB, 2008 WL 191892 (N.D. Iowa Jan. 22, 2008) (wetland conversion)

Clark v. USDA, 492 F. Supp. 2d 1085 (S.D. Iowa 2007) (wetland determination)  Text

Ballanger v. Johanns, 451 F. Supp. 2d 1061 (S.D. Iowa 2006) (Swampbuster benefit eligibility)  Text

Siebrasse v. USDA, 418 F.3d 847 (8th Cir. 2005) (fraudulent transfer of land)  Text

In re Schrandt, No. 04-04172, 2005 WL 1629798 (Bankr. N.D. Iowa July 11, 2005) (public assistance benefits exception)

B & D Land & Livestock Co. v. Veneman, 332 F. Supp. 2d 1200 (N.D. Iowa 2004) (wetland conversion)  Text

B & D Land & Livestock Co. v. Veneman, 231 F. Supp. 2d 895 (N.D. Iowa 2002) (wetland conversion)  Text

Branstad v. Veneman, 232 F. Supp. 2d 945 (N.D. Iowa 2002) (attorneys' fees)  Text

Branstad v. Veneman, 212 F. Supp. 2d 976 (N.D. Iowa 2002) (administrative appeal)  Text



NINTH CIRCUIT


Adam Bros. Farming, Inc. v. County of Santa Barbara, 604 F.3d 1142 (9th Cir. 2010) (challenge to wetland delineation as a taking)  Text

Nat'l Wildlife Fed'n v. Schaefer, No. CV08-1004-JCC (W.D. Wash. July 24, 2008) (allowing haying and grazing of CRP lands). Click here for the full text of the unreported decision.

O'Hagan v. Von Borstel, Adv. No. 03-3523, 2007 WL 3128360 (Bankr. D. Or. Oct. 24, 2007) (CRP contract as partnership asset)

O'Hagan v. Von Borstel, No. 03-3523, 2007 WL 1039202 (Bankr. D. Or. Mar. 29, 2007) (CRP contract as partnership asset)

Citizens for Honesty & Integrity in Reg'l Planning v. County of San Diego, 399 F.3d 1067 (9th Cir. 2005) (jurisdiction)  Text

Nat'l Wildlife Fed'n v. Johanns, No. C04-2169Z, 2005 WL 1189583 (W.D. Wash. May 19, 2005) (haying and grazing complaint, standing)

Citizens for Honesty & Integrity in Reg'l Planning v. County of San Diego, 258 F. Supp. 2d 1132 (S.D. Cal. 2003) (preemption)  Text

Big Meadows Grazing Ass'n v. United States, 344 F.3d 940 (9th Cir. 2003) (easement, landowner assent)  Text



TENTH CIRCUIT


Biller v. Veneman, 150 Fed. App'x 834 (10th Cir. 2005) (failure to control noxious weeds)

Payton v. USDA, 337 F.3d 1163 (10th Cir. 2003) (jurisdiction)  Text

In re Clark, 288 B.R. 237 (Bankr. D. Kan. 2003) (Chapter 12 eligibility)  Text   |    Summary

Sanders Land & Cattle Co. v. Dep't of Agric., 49 Fed. App'x 211 (10th Cir. 2002) (failure to show ownership)



ELEVENTH CIRCUIT


Balfour Land Co., L.P. v. United States, No. 7:08-cv-34 (HL), 2009 WL 1796068 (M.D. Ga. June 22, 2009) (termination of CRP contracts by FSA for failing to get FSA approval in selling CRP land)



D.C. CIRCUIT


Multi AG Media LLC v. Dep't of Agric., Civil Action No. 05-01908 (HHK), 2006 WL 2320941 (D.D.C. Aug. 9, 2006) (FOIA disclosure)



FEDERAL CIRCUIT


Rick's Mushroom Serv., Inc. v. U.S., 521 F.3d 1338 (Fed. Cir. 2008) (dispute of cost-share agreement)  Text

Esch v. United States, 77 Fed. Cl. 582 (Fed. Cl. 2007) (offset of loan debt)

Cottrell v. United States, 71 Fed. Cl. 559 (Fed. Cl. 2006) (statute of limitations; failure to exhaust remedies)   Summary



CALIFORNIA


County of Colusa v. Cal. Wildlife Conservation Bd., 52 Cal. Rptr. 3d 1 (Cal. Ct. App. 2006) (Williamson Act challenge)  Text

Cal. Farm Bureau Fed'n v. Cal. Wildlife Conservation Bd., 49 Cal. Rptr. 3d 169 (Cal. Ct. App. 2006) (California Environmental Quality Act exemption)  Text



COLORADO


Hepp v. Boulder County Assessor, 113 P.3d 1268 (Colo. Ct. App. 2005) (tax classification and valuation)  Text



DELAWARE


O'Neill v. Town of Middletown, C.A. No. 2478-VCN, 2007 WL 1114019 (Del. Ch. Mar. 29, 2007) (zoning, Source Water Protection Program)



FLORIDA


Coulter v. St. John's Water Mgmt. Dist., 799 So. 2d 267 (Fla. Dist. Ct. App. 2001) (sales transaction involving Wetlands Reserve Program)  Text   |    Summary



INDIANA


Webb v. Schleutker, 891 N.E.2d 1144 (Ind. Ct. App. 2008) (CSP payments are marital property)  Text

Graham Creek Farms v. Ind. Dep't of State Revenue, 819 N.E.2d 151 (Ind. Tax Ct. 2004) (tax exemption)  Text



KANSAS


Steffen v. S & S Oil, 237 P.3d 668 (Kan. Ct. App. 2010) (individual must assume CRP contract after purchasing tract of land)

Markel Properties, LLC v. Siebler, No. 94,314, 2006 WL 538554 (Kan. Ct. App. Mar. 3, 2006) (adverse possession)

In re Protest of Smith, 39 P.3d 66 (Kan. 2002) (tax classification)  Text



MISSOURI


K & G Farms v. Monroe County Serv. Co., 134 S.W.3d 40 (Mo. Ct. App. 2003) (landlord's payment of expenses)  Text



MONTANA


Hjartarson v. Hjartarson, 147 P.3d 164 (Mont. 2006) (designated operator change)  Text

Weter v. Archambault, 61 P.3d 771 (Mont. 2002) (wrongful occupation)  Text

Henderson v. Estate of Henderson, No. 00-489, 2002 WL 473539 (Mont. Mar. 28, 2002) (breach of contract)



NEW MEXICO


Jicarilla Apache Nation v. Rodarte. 103 P.3d 554 (N.M. 2004) (tax assessment)   Text

Jicarilla Apache Nation v. Rodarte, 92 P.3d 642 (N.M. Ct. App. 2004) (tax assessment)  Text



NORTH DAKOTA


Schmidt v. Wittinger, 687 N.W.2d 479 (N.D. 2004) (duty of joint tenants)  Text



OHIO


Hardy v. Delaware County Bd. of Revision, 835 N.E.2d 348 (Ohio 2005) (property tax rate)

Wetland Resource Ctr., L.L.C. v. Marion County Auditor, 809 N.E.2d 1202 (Ohio Ct. App. 2004) (tax valuation)



OREGON


Bridgeview Vineyards, Inc. v. State Land Bd. of Or., 154 P.3d 734 (Or. Ct. App. 2007) (state fill and removal law)  Text   |    Summary



WASHINGTON


Cox v. Klicker, 139 Wash. Ct. App. 1003 (Wash. Ct. App. 2007) (division of property)



WISCONSIN


Winter v. Wis. Dep't of Revenue, No. 2005AP2376, 2007 WL 59371 (Wis. Ct. App. Jan. 10, 2007) (assessment)

Fee v. Bd. of Review for Florence, 657 N.W.2d 112 (Wis. Ct. App. 2002) (taxation)  Text







  

This material is based on work supported by the U.S. Department of Agriculture under Agreement No. 59-8201-9-115. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the view of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

The National Agricultural Law Center is a federally funded research institution located at the University of Arkansas School of Law, Fayetteville.

Web site: www.NationalAgLawCenter.org | Phone: (479)575-7646 | Email: NatAgLaw@uark.edu