At last a little good news:

A judge awarded more than $4.2 million to a late Nevada rancher’s estate after finding that the U.S. Forest Service engaged in an unconstitutional “taking” of water rights out of hostility to the rancher, a property rights activist.

Wayne Hage bought the Pine Creek Ranch in central Nevada in 1978. Forest Service goons soon began to harass him about his federal grazing permit, which they eventually canceled. U.S. Court of Federal Claims Judge Loren Smith ruled that this violated the Fifth Amendment clause against expropriating property without just compensation.

The government had demanded that Hage maintain ditches using only hand tools, so that he was unable to irrigate his 7,000-acre ranch.

Next, moonbats might decide that General Motors has to make cars using only plastic tools from Fisher-Price.

Unfortunately Hage didn’t live to savor his victory; he died two years ago. Having theoretically infinite financial resources, the government might appeal.

On a tip from V the K. Cross-posted at Moonbattery.

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