Land Ownership Patterns and Their Impacts on Appalachian Communities. A Survey of 80 Counties.

347 Pages·2007·6.89 MB·English

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Land Ownership Patterns and Their Impacts on
TITLE
Appalachian Communities. A Survey of 80 Counties.
Appalachian State Univ., Boone, NC. Center for
INSTITUTION
Appalachian Studies.; Highlander Research and
Education Center, New Market, TN.
Appalachian Regional Commission, Washington, D.C.
SPONS AGENCY
PUB DATE
Feb 81
358p.; Prepared by the Appalachian Land Ownership
NOTE
Task Force associated with the Appalachian
Alliance.
Reports - Evaluative/Feasibility (142)
PUB TYPE
MF01/PC15 Plus Postage.
EDRS PRICE
Agricultural Trends; Economic Development; *Economic
DESCRIPTORS
Impact; Educational Finance; Housing; Land
Acquisition; *Land Use; Mining; Natural Resources;
*Ownership; Poverty; Public Policy; Rural Areas;
*Rural Development; *Socioeconomic Influences; Tax
Rates
*Appalachia; Land Reform; *Tax Equity
IDENTIrIBRS
ABSTRACT
This study documents land ownership patterns in the
Appalachian region and analyzes their impact on rural communities.
Representing the most comprehensive such study to date, the project
was initiated by Appalachian residents in 1978 to examine whether and
how land ownership patterns, especially corporate and absentee
ownership, underlie or contribute to policy issues the region faces.
The study surveyed 80 counties in 6 states: Alabama; Kentucky; North
Carolina; Tennessee; Virginia; and West Virginia. In general, the
study found ownership of land and minerals in rural Appalachia to be
highly concentrated among a few absentee and corporate owners,
resulting in little land actually being available or accessible to
local people. These ownership patterns are a key underlying element
in explaining inadequate local tax revenues and services, lack of
economic development, loss of agricultural lands, lack of sufficient
housing, education, energy development, and land use in the region. A
listing of chapter headings follows: (1) "Land Ownership: A National
(2) "Who Owns the Land and
Issue, and an Appalachian Issue";
Minerals? A Profile of Ownership Patterns in 80 Appalachian
Counties"; (3) "Property Tax Patterns in Rural Appalachia"; (4) "Land
Ownership and Economic Development"; (5) "Land Ownership and
Agriculture"; (6) "Land Ownership and Housing"; (7) "Ownership,
Energy, and the Land in Appalachia"; and (8) "Findings and
Recommendations." The appendixes include the methodology of the land
study, and a 38-page annotated bibliography. The document includes
tables showing land and mineral ownership patterns in Appalachian
counties, land-owner characteristics, property tax patterns, and land
use patterns. (TES)
Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that ran be made
from the original document.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Executive Summary
Preface
Acknowledgements
Page
Land Ownership: A National Issue, and
Chapter I.
an Appalachian Issue
1
Who Owns the Land and Mii,erals?
Chapter II.
A Profile of Ownership Patterns in
80 Appalachian Counties
24
Chapter III.
Property Tax Patterns in Rural Appalachia
68
Land Ownership and Economic Development
Chapter IV.
101
Land Ownership and Agriculture
Chapter V.
125
Land Ownership and Housing
149
Chapter VI.
Chapter VII.
Ownership, Energy and the Lanu in
Appalachia
177
Chapter VIII.
210
Findings and Recommendations
Methodology of the Land Study
Appendix I.
227
Appendix II.
272
Annotated Bibliography
LIST OF TABLES
Chapter II
26
Surface Acres Owned by Type of Owner
II-1
Mineral Acres Owned by Type of Owner
27
11-2
28
Concentration of Ownership: Surface Acres
11-3
29
Concentration of Ownership: Mineral Acres
11-4
Cow.entration of Ownership in 80 Appalachian
II-5
30
Counties
Concentration of Ownership: Most Concentrated
11-6
31
and Most Dispersed Counties
Absentee Ownership of Surface Acres and Mineral
11-7
Acres, by State
33
Counties with Greater than 50% Absentee Owner-
11-8
35
ship of County Surface
Ownership Patterns by Nature of Owner and by
11-9
Type.of County
37
Counties math Major Corporate Ownership of
II-10
38
Surface Land
Counties with Major Corporate Ownership of
II-11
39
Mineral Rights
Top 50 Private Surface and Mineral Owners
11-12
41
by Type of Business Activity
50 Top Surface Owners in 80 Appalachian
11-13
43
Counties
50 Top Mineral Owners in 80 Appalachian
11-14
47
Counties
Government Ownership of Land in 80 Appalachian
11-15
60
Counties
Counties with Major Government and Private
11-16
61
Non-Profit Ownership
141r
Counties with High Percent of Local, Individual
11-17
64
Holdings
Chapter III
III-1
Legal Basis for Assessed Value of Realty
69
by State: 1976 and Subsequent Periods
Property Taxes Paid Per Surface Acre of Land
111-2
by State, Type and Residence of Owner
71
Surface Taxes Paid Per Acre by Size of
111-3
Surface Owner
73
Rate and Value of Building Improvements on
111-4
Individually Owned Land by Residence
75
111-5
Surface Taxes Per Acre by Land Use
76
Ad Valorem Mineral Taxation in Five Southern
111-6
Appalachian Coal Producing States
79
Current Value of Income Stream on One Ton
111-7
of Coal Per Year Tncreasing Over
50 Years
87
Land Owned and Property Taxes Paid by Owners
111-8
92
Per Capita County Expenditures, 1977,
111-9
by State and by Sample
94
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Executive Summary
Preface
Acknowledgements
Page
Land Ownership: A National Issue, and
Chapter I.
1
an Appalachian Issue
Who Owns the Land and Minerals?
Chapter II.
A Profile of Ownership Patterns in
24
80 Appalachian Counties
68
Property Tax Patterns in Rural Appalachia
Chapter
101
Land Ownership and Economic Development
Chapter IV.
125
Land Ownership and Agriculture
Chapter V.
149
Land Ownership and Housing
Chapter VI.
Ownership, Energy and the Land in
Chapter VII.
177
Appalachia
210
Findings and Recommemdations
Chapter VIII.
227
Methodology of the Land Study
Appendix I.
272
Annotated Bibliography
Appendix IL
LIST OF TABLES
Chapter II
II-1
Surface Acres Owned by Type of Owner
26
11-2
Mineral Acres Owne4 by Type of Owner
27
Conc:mtration of Ownershio: Surface Acres
11-3
28
11-4
Concentration of Ownership: Mine'al Acres
29
Concentration of Ownersbip in 80 Appalachian
11-5
Counties
30
11-6
Concentration of Ownership: Most Concentrated
and Most Dispersed Counties
31
11-7
Absentee Ownership of Surface Acres and Mineral
Acres, by State
33
11-8
Counties with Greater than 50% Absentee Owner-
ship of County Surface
35
11-9
Ownership Patterns by Nature of Owner and by
Type of County
37
II-10
Counties with Major Corporate Ownership of
Surface Land
38
II-11
Counties with Major Corporate Ownership of
Mineral Rights
39
11-12
Top 50 Private Surface and Mineral Owners
41
by Type of Business Activity
11-13
50 Top Surface Owners in 80 Appalachian
Counties
43
50 Top Mineral Owners in 80 Appalachian
11-14
Counties
47
11-15
Government Ownership of Land in 80 Appalachian
Counties
60
11-16
Counties with Major Government and Private
Non-Profit Ownership
61
Counties with High Percent of Local, Individual
11-17
Holdings
64
Chapter III
III-1
Legal Basis for Assessed Value of Realty
by State: 1976 and Subsequent Periods
69
111-2
Property Taxes Paid Per Surface Acre of Land
by State, Type and Residence of Owner
71
111-3
Surface Taxes Paid Per Acre by Size of
Surface Owner
73
111-4
Rate and Value of Building Improvements on
Individually Owned Land by Residence
75
111-5
Surface Taxes Per Acre by Land Use
76
111-6
Ad Valoxem Mineral Taxation in Five Southern
Appalachian Coal Producing States
79
111-7
Current Value of Income Stream on One Ton
of Coal Per Year Increasing Over
50 Years
87
111-8
Land Owned and Property Taxes Paid by Owners
92
Per Capita County Expenditures, 1977,
111-9
by State and by Sample
94
List of Tables
Page # 2
Chapter V
V-1
Loss of Farms and :.'armland in 80
129
Appalachian Counties
Percent of County Now Owned by Loc-,1
V -2A
Individuals by Percent of County
132
in Agriculture
Percent of County Not Owned by Local
V -2B
Individuals by Level of Agricultural
132
Sales
V-3 Tourism/Second Home Counties with High Loss
135
of Farmland; 1969-74
Coal Counties with High Loss of Farmland,
V-4
139
1969-74
Chapter VI
VI-1
"Unavailable Land" by "Overcrowding Housing"
157
in 72 Rural Counties
VI-2
Impact of Control of Surface and Mineral
Rights on Overcrowded Housing in 14
161
Tennessee Counties
IMMARY:
LUDIONNWHIP PATTERNS AND THETR IMPACTS ON APPALACHIAN ODMMUNITIES
A Study by the Appalachian Land Ownership Task Forta, 1981
This study is an attempt to document land ownership patterns in the Appalachian
region and to analyze their impact on rural communities.
Representing the most
comprehensive such stndy to date, the project was initiated by residents of the
region in fall 1978, to examinc: whether and how land ownership patterns,-
- especially
corporate and absentee ownership - - underlie or contribute to many of the policy
issues that the region faces: property taxes for local services, continued econo-
mic underdevelopment, loss of farmland, inadequate housing, energy production,
environmental damage.
Conducted by the Appalachian Lahd Ownership Task Force, a coalition of com-
mumity groups, scholars and individuals, associated with the Appalachian Alliance,
study has involved the work of some sixty people in six states.
With county
tax rolls as a data base, over 55,000 parc& -.
of property in 80 counties were
studied, representing some 20,000,000 acres of land and mineral rights in parts
of Alabama, Kentucky, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia.
In
addition, aver 100 ecomonic and social variables were compiled for tY.s counties
surveyed, in-depth county case studies were conducl,ed in 19 counties, ard state
reports were prepared for each of the states.
The findings of this study are presented in a regional overview, and six
supporting volumes of state and local material, altogether amounting to over 1800
pages.
A brief summary of the regional overview is found below.
LAND OWNERSHIP PATTERNS
In general the study found ownership of land and minerals in rural Appalachia
to be highly concentrated among a few absentee and corporate owners, resulting in
little land actually being available or accessible to local people.
1. The ownership of land and minerals in APPalachia is highly
concentrated in the hands of a few owners.
Only 1 percent ef the local
population, along with absentee holders, corporations, and government
agencies, control at least 53 percent of the total land surface in the
80 counties.* Forty-one percent of the 20 million acres of land and
minerals owned by 30,000 owners in the survey are held by only 50 pri-
vate owners and 10 government agencies.
The federal government is the
single largest owner in Appalachia, holding over 2 million acres.
Using 1978/1979 property tax records, the survey recorded all local individual
*
owners with holdings above 250 acres (rewesenting 1% of the local population)
and all corporate, public and absentee owners with holdings above 20 acres in
the unincorporated portions of the counties.
The survey covered 53% of the
total surface of the 80 counties.
Percentages are based either on the total
land in the counties or on the total land recorded in the survey (specified
in each case).
1 0