I don´t want to sound like blame the victim - but it´s a lease, and it has a term limit, and you are dealing with a government whose priorities and leadership will change a lot over the life of a single lease term - no way you could ever rely on anything other than a perpetual, or at least 100-year, lease without setting yourself up for a 100 percent possibility of disappointment.

Any term lease eventually runs out. Ask Hong Kong.

Learn from this. This what democrats have always done and do. They are out to destroy the middle class. We´re facing the fiscal cliff entirely due to democrat policies. They are out to kill us, murder the middle class.

The Lunny family should ask the native Americans about federal promises.

From what I understand the "fiscal cliff is the lesser of two evils compared what the Zero demands.

As #4 alluded, ask the Choctaws and Chickasaws about President Andrew Jackson´s promise of, "land of their own, which they shall possess as long as grass grows or water runs."

Never trust the government!!!!!

Never!!!!!

Even if you get something in writing, assume they will still find a way to ream you the first chance they get.

Just assume that eventually our government will be run by a bunch of socialists that won´t be happy until the government owns and runs all sources of revenue.

Sadly, that day is already here...

It´s not just Federal Leasing issues ............ Think govt ´Eminent Domain´ issues for the ´public good´ including taking private property for ´Higher Taxables,´ ´Public Housing,´ ´Environmental Protection,´ etc.

Work, effort, and perseverance cannot be rewarded ........... that would be UNFAIR to those on welfare and govt bureaucrats who know better ........... THEY know more than the citizenry and what´s best for us .........of course thy do!!!

IF, as a condition of the contract 40 year leases were to be automatically renewed and now the Gov´t is NOT renewing, the contract has been vitiated and they should simply file a suit claiming same and reclaim the land.

You guys are not looking at the big picture. For one thing, it was never the original intent of the congressmen for the ranchers or the oyster farm to be eradicated. They said so themselves.

The big picture is this: A peoples are living peacefully on public land. They are living a good life off of that land. The Federal Government steps in and says they can no longer live there. They must be driven off said land for the good of...the nation (I guess?)

Can you tell me what this sounds like? It sounds like American Indians being driven off the land!! Whether it be for F´ing owls or "to protect the environment" people are being driven off the land!

Man, as much as I hate to say this this really looks like we´re going through exactly what the American Indians went through.

My contention is the Federal Government should own NO LAND at all.

More evidence of the creeping creation of a government of the United States Socialist Republic.

Sad day. A trip to Drakes bay and the consumption of fresh oysters from their farm was always a real treat when we lived in California. A beautiful place with delectable food.

A read of the comments - some from those who purport to know the details of what the Lunnys did - could temper the vitriol toward Salazar and the fed. Worth reading in addition to Ham´s article.

On the face of it it looks like another government open space grab, but we don´t know all the details.