RLI members and leaders came together during NAR’s annual Legislative Meetings to discuss current issues impacting landowners and land professionals, including WOTUS, Open Fields, 1031 Exchanges, foreign land investments and the Farm Bill.

A new Waters of the United States (WOTUS) rule was released December 30, 2022. This definition of WOTUS adds uncertainty and confusion to the regulatory process, raises housing costs and increases federal overreach in the permitting process.

A century-old legal rule called the “open fields” doctrine is a constitutional error that weakens every American’s property rights, but disproportionately hurts rural landowners. Reform—whether through the courts or the legislature—is desperately needed to restore our basic right to be left alone.

Nothing is more basic to successful human congregate settlement than the management and sharing of freshwater resources; the way in which Americans manage their freshwater resources defines the overall quality of life. Today’s REALTORS® must gain a working knowledge of water rights in their geographic area of practice.

It is essential for all landowners to work with a land expert in their market to have a thorough understanding of the private property rights.

When you buy land, you might assume that your property rights give you ownership of everything below your feet. That's not always the case, though. While you have surface rights, someone else may have mineral rights to its metals, oil, natural gas, and other commodities.

We’ve collected the most commonly asked questions about mineral rights to help you get a better understanding of one of the most complex issues in the land industry.

Until very recently, pore space was hardly considered a property right at all. However, the surge of interest in carbon capture and sequestration (CCS), as well as the need to store salt water produced by the oil and gas industry has made pore space ownership an increasingly popular, yet extremely underdeveloped area of the law.