BIRMINGHAM, Ala., and DALLAS, Oct. 4, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- According to a new survey published by the The Land Report, more people are investing in undeveloped land and sowing the seeds of the United States' economic recovery while protecting America's greatest resource, the land. Data show the private holdings of the top landowners have grown nearly 20 percent over the last five years.
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In the magazine's fall issue, The Land Report 100 presented by Fay Ranches, the total acreage owned by the 100 largest private landowners is up by 18.6 percent over the past five years, from 27.2 million acres in 2007 to 32.3 million in 2012.
"In the aftermath of the Great Recession, land and land-based assets have propelled our economy out of the doldrums," says Land Report Editor Eric O'Keefe. "Look at farmland prices. Look at energy assets. Look at the rise in minerals and commodity prices. Each of these elements is tied to the land, which is why so many savvy investors are anchoring their portfolios with this asset."
Land broker Greg Fay, whose company Fay Ranches is The Land Report 100's sponsor, says the survey results confirm a trend he sees today. "At a time when finding a place to put cash has become increasingly tough, once again land is the savvy play. Today's ranch investor understands the importance and interconnectivity of agricultural production, healthy ecosystems and quality recreation and how it affects value better than anyone," Fay says.
There are several landowners new to this year's 100 list, including No. 20 Malone Mitchell, a billionaire oil and energy entrepreneur who owns the iconic Longfellow Ranch, a hunter's paradise located in the wilds of West Texas. Many of Mitchell's 350,000-acre holdings are in Texas' Brewster and Terrell counties.
Another new addition to the The Land Report 100 presented by Fay Ranches is No. 25 the Flitner Family. This husband-and-wife team owns The Hideout, a working ranch with deluxe guest accommodations east of Yellowstone National Park. David Flitner is a third-generation Wyoming rancher and many of his family's 300,000 acres are near the Bighorn National Forest.
Also new to the list is No. 86 Roxanne Quimby, an entrepreneur and healthy-living visionary who has become a well-known philanthropist and woodland conservationist. Quimby owns 119,000 acres, mostly in the North Woods of Maine. She was a co-founder of Burt's Bees, a best-selling brand of natural personal-care products that was sold to a multinational firm.
The 2012 edition of The Land Report 100 presented by Fay Ranches is an annual survey of the largest private U.S. landowners. It excludes leased and public lands and focuses exclusively on deeded acreage owned by individuals, families, family-owned companies and family-controlled foundations.
About The Land Report
Founded in 2007, The Land Report is an award-winning quarterly magazine focused on America's greatest resource – the land. Its readership includes landowners, land brokers, investors, outdoor enthusiasts and anyone who cares for and about the land, from mountain retreats and timberland to working ranches and historic estates. For more information or to review the entire 2012 publication of The Land Report 100 presented by Fay Ranches, visit www.landreport.com.
About Fay Ranches
Fay Ranches has provided the finest brokerage services available with the highest level of integrity and professionalism in the American West for 20 years. Sporting pursuits, family, conservation and investment value are the four pillars of its legacy of success. For more information about Fay Ranches, visit www.fayranches.com.
Contact: Troy Goodman
Markstein Consulting, LLC
205.542.5817
troy@marksteinconsulting.com
SOURCE The Land Report 100