Federal judge blocks ‘Free Land Holders’ from fencing off national forest

After the U.S. government sued the so-called Free Land Holders Committee in 2024 for trespassing on federal land, members disputed the court’s authority to hear the case and asked for an ambassador to negotiate a resolution.DENVER (CN) — A federal judge on Wednesday granted summary judgment to the United States and blocked members of the Free Land Holders Committee from putting up fences in parts of the San Juan National Forest near Mancos, Colorado.“The United States’ properly supported facts, which are considered undisputed, demonstrate that the United States owns the Hallar Deed Area as a matter of law,” Chief U.S. District Judge Daniel Domenico wrote in a 12-page opinion.The U.S. sued Patrick Pipkin, Bryan Hammon and other unknown members of the Free Land Holder Committee in 2024, claiming the group improperly erected a mileslong fence around the Hallar Deed Area of the San Juan National Forest near the town of Mancos in southwest Colorado.The area is named for Fred Hallar, who sold the land to the U.S. in 1927.Representing themselves throughout the proceedings, Pipkin and Hammon questioned the court’s jurisdiction to hear the case, requested an ambassador to negotiate a resolution, and paid court filing fees in silver.In response to the federal government’s motion for summary judgment, Pipkin and Hammon each filed a “Presentation of Repudiations” in which the men denied being “sovereign citizen, enemy combatant” or “revolutionary.” Instead, Pipkin and Hammon each declared themselves “ambassador for everlasting peace.”Citing the Geneva Bible of 1560, the 1774 Articles of Association, and the 1848 Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, Pipkin and Hammon argued the Hallar deed gave the land to “The United States of America,” with a capital T, rather than to the current U.S. government.“The perfected usufruct land claim is not presented as a commercial title claim in the possessory sense,” Pipkin said in what Domenico interpreted as a reply brief.After holding two hearings with the parties, U.S. Magistrate Judge N. Reid Neureiter recommended that Domenico grant summary judgment.Domenico reaffirmed his jurisdiction over the case and concluded the men did not provide evidence of land ownership to dispute the federal government’s claim.“Mr. Pipkin’s and Mr. Hammon’s asserted chain of publicly posted notices, proclamations, and the like does not have legal force and does not establish that they or the Free Land Holder Committee have ‘title by nature,’” Domenico wrote.“Mr. Pipkin’s and Mr. Hammon’s arguments otherwise are unpersuasive and legally incorrect,” the Donald Trump appointee concluded.A spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Justice declined to comment.Reached by phone, Pipkin told Courthouse News he was still reviewing the court order and would have a response at another time.Subscribe to our free newslettersOur weekly newsletter Closing Arguments offers the latest about ongoing trials, major litigation and rulings in courthouses around the U.S. and the world, while the monthly Under the Lights dishes the legal dirt from Hollywood, sports, Big Tech and the arts.Additional Reads