The Bureau of Land Management is obstructing access to private property in a small, historic Arizona town without due process and harassing community members involved in a long overdue cleanup and restoration effort.
We are asking for your help in recouping costly attorney fees and continuing our cleanup efforts!
There is a piece of property just outside the small, historic town of Bisbee, Arizona that has fallen into a state of tragic neglect. It was once an old mining claim, situated in a cozy canyon in the Mule Mountains. The property outlived its time in the mining industry, as most of Bisbee has. In its second life, it served as a family home for nearly 100 years.
As one of the last descendants of the family grew old and fell into poor health, he was forced to travel for medical reasons and leave his home behind.
In his absence, the property became host to squatting, vandalism, and illegal dumping. A once beautiful home, turned into an unsightly nuisance on an otherwise beautiful stretch of a mountain road popular amongst hikers, cyclists, and tourists seeking a perfect Bisbee photo opportunity.
Tired of seeing the property in this state, we formed the Old Divide Group — a community-led effort dedicated to cleaning and restoring the neglected property, placing it into a conservation easement, and reserving a significant portion for community use. Our plans include community garden spaces, native plant trails, natural building workshops, and much more.
We officially purchased the property from the original owner, filed the deed, and paid taxes in April of 2024. Cleanup efforts started on April 20th.
After 3 days of volunteers being on-site, law enforcement officers dispatched by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) came to the property and demanded efforts halt immediately. The volunteers were told everything on-site belonged to the US Government and no one had any right to be there cleaning. Officers declined all requests to present deeds and show proof of paid taxes.
Since this initial visit from law enforcement, we have been in constant communication with the BLM to assert our ownership rights. Despite the property having been utilized as a private residence since at least 1937, they insist usage of the property was never formalized and/or authorized. The BLM has not only rejected any and all attempts to reach an amicable solution — but has violently escalated the matter — regularly sending law enforcement agents to the property to threaten and harass whoever is onsite.
By conspiring with an out-of-state owner of a neighboring property, the BLM has claimed and taken full control over the top portion of our driveway — the only driveway available to the property — for which it has been exclusively dedicated for several decades. They have placed their own locks on our gate, installed surveillance cameras, and threatened arrest if the driveway is used by anyone in the Group — citing a request from said neighbor as the reason for doing so.
As of June 1st, 2024, we have been unable to access our personal and private property. There are vehicles and other personal belongings trapped onsite, and the BLM is refusing us the right to access and enjoy the property we hold title to and have paid taxes on.
Our only wish is to resume cleanup efforts, and allow the property to flourish as it once did. The BLM, however, would prefer to seize the property, leaving it fenced up and sitting in a state of neglect indefinitely.
As a result of this mission, we have suffered substantial financial losses, and have been forced to seek costly legal help. We have no intention of giving up though. This is a beautiful property, and it deserves to be enjoyed by the community that legally holds title to it — not "managed" by a federal agency making decisions from 100 miles away. The administrative state has no place in community-led affairs that would otherwise be operating smoothly in their absence.
Please consider getting involved and/or donating to our effort today!
It truly takes a village, and Bisbee is a very small one.
If you would like to get involved in any capacity, please contact us at group@olddivide.com, or call 520-654-8880.
If you would like to support in our legal and/or restoration efforts, please consider donating by clicking HERE.