Julia Trigg Crawford, a Northeast Texas farmer, and numerous landowners across Texas continue to fight for their property rights despite many losses. But what is the reason behind this sudden surge of condemnation cases? The first reason is the economy, the second is demographics. More and more monetary energy is directed towards the development of oil and gas across the state, mostly due to a boom in hydraulic fracturing. The growing population of Texas does not alleviate the problem either. As the issue gains a greater spotlight, so do the opposing views on the bigger question of the pros and cons of developmental progress in the United States. President Obama along with many environmentalists sway towards the cultivation of wind and solar energy, an investment in land safety. GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney and the majority of privately owned oil and gas corporations find investing in the economy to be of greater value. The question is not who is right, but how to find a middle ground so that property owners can successfully maintain their land rights.

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