To most, being on my own land means I should be able to do with it what I see fit. However, as most preppers have already experienced, this isn’t always the case.
As local, state, and federal governments begin to seek control, we will see more legislation geared towards preventing us from preparing for our own survival.
In this article we are going to look at some backyard projects which have the potential of being banned.
Rainwater Collection
We put this at the top of our list because it’s perhaps the craziest one of all. Rain falls from the sky by God’s hands and falls where it may. Nobody owns it so why the big fuss about collecting it? Right?
It’s true. Nobody technically owns the water that falls from the heavens.
However, many localities rely on rainwater to supply local crops and streams. Some municipalities even rely on rainwater for their town’s water supply.
So, what does this mean for the prepper?
The truth is most places aren’t going to be too concerned about you collecting rainwater in a 55-gallon drum. What would start to raise concern is if you dug a large “pond” on your property and collected rainwater in it. Many laws will see that as diverting resources from others who might need it.
If you have a rainwater supply, you should keep it safe from potential threats such as looters and nosy neighbors. In times of crisis, it’s common for unprepared individuals to seek out resources like water, sometimes resorting to force. Learn here how to hide and protect your water supply.
Composting
Composting is one of the premier ways homesteaders and preppers alike create nutrient-rich fertilizer for their gardens. Ironically enough, it’s been on the chopping block in many local governments across the country. And to be clear, this isn’t only relevant for peat moss composting.
Some states have a ban in place that prohibits the disposal of organic materials in landfills.
This includes items such as yard waste, tree trimmings, and food waste. The problem, though, comes when the law is interpreted to apply to homeowners in their own backyard.
What this means is that some local municipalities will interpret these laws to mean composting is considered having a landfill.
Related: How to Make Comfrey Fertilizer for an Extended Harvest
Another reason, which primarily relates to those living in a more urban setting, is the number of pests which may be drawn to the compost bin, as well as the smells.
There are, however, ways you can prevent pests and odors and allow your compost bin to go undetected. This can include limiting the amount of grass clippings you add in and being sure to mix your pile to allow good oxygenation.
Off-Grid Energy
In truth, most laws passed which govern DIY Backyard projects are done so based on the mighty dollar. They require permits and zoning laws to be changed which adds money to their balance sheet. In the case of going completely off grid with regards to your power consumption, money is everything.
You will be hard pressed to find a local government which will stop you from installing solar grids, backyard wind turbines, or anything which would generate electricity.
In fact, when it comes to solar panels especially, many will give you major incentives, either in the form of tax breaks or direct payouts. However, they won’t allow you to completely disconnect from the power grid or, if they allow it, will charge a hefty fee.
This is the case even if you are generating 100% of your own power. In fact, what is often the case is the power company will start to owe you money because any extra power you generate will be directed back to the grid.
The problem with this is that any attack meant to take out the power grid will also likely take out your power system.
Zoning laws and safety regulations can also impede on your ability to go off-grid, especially in urban areas. HOAs, for example, are more likely to ban going off-grid, or any prepper activity for that matter, simply due to aesthetics.
Underground Bunkers and Shelters
Even as celebrities such as Mark Zuckerberg are building personal bunkers, many municipalities are either banning them or creating labyrinths of red tape around their construction. Most of the push back comes from zoning laws and issues with neighbors.
As with most of these backyard projects, most of the issues will be faced in an urban setting where placing an underground bunker makes you the crazy person in town. Or so they say.
⇒ How to Build a Cheap Bunker in Your Backyard
While they may not be completely banned in your area, you’ll likely be required to take out a permit.
The problem most have with this, however, is that it makes the underground bunker public knowledge. And in a SHTF scenario, the fewer people who know of your shelter the better.
Backyard Animals
Even many rural towns have started to crack down on the act of keeping and raising livestock on your property, especially within city limits. What it boils down to is many neighbors don’t want to be forced to deal with the smells and sounds which come with having livestock.
For example, one town in Montana limits the number of chickens you can have on your property within city limits to 10. However, they also require you get the approval of your neighbors before doing so.
In other areas across the country, the right to farm laws are often interpreted to only benefit farmers and ranchers. These laws designate what is considered a farm by how many acres the property has. Some requirements are as low as 10 acres while others can be as high as 50.
Covenants can also dictate what you can and cannot do on your property, including whether you can have livestock or not. When purchasing property, it’s important to check if any covenants exist. If so, you may be required to go through the process of changing the covenants, which will require upwards of 75% of homeowners to sign off on it.
The sad reality is that the closer we get to our prepping becoming our reality, more laws will be conjured up by men in suits whose only desire is to make the country dependent on the government.
The more people depend on the government, the more control the government has. That means our freedom to do as we choose on our property to facilitate our own survival is at risk.
As irritating as it is, we still must do our due diligence to ensure we operate within the law. And, sadly, to many this means moving to a place with fewer rules and regulations on prepping activities.
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If you all liberals, Demoncrats and RINO’s vote for another 4 years of Marxism than a businessman we’re all in the speeder up end days.
We can’t house, feed, clothe, school the whole world on our American taxpayer’s dime anymore, we’re going bankrupt.
These above projects are great starters to be independent.
God bless MAGA!
A small town in Montana limiting the amount of chickens you can have?
This is the wealthy, climate change, vegans, liberals invading once held town by common folk. Now like other states we have an invasion of domestic useful idiots politically by rules and regulations what happened in those Marxist states. Going on and ruining those local folks idea of their American dream by liberal transplants who ruined their previous states of regulations and fees.
These liberals ruin it for the real common conservatives trying to leave those Marxist polluted states. Not everyone in the blue sanctuary states are crazy liberals. The large major Demoncrat run cities make it bad for everyone else. Every notice in big cities they liberal city councils tear down existing old buildings to build tiny room condos for people housing or human storage. Take the mass transit people pushers to places controlled in a 15 Minute City lifestyle.
Elections do have real consequences regardless of the liberal naysayers in propaganda news outlets. We just interference’s of liberals, progressives on both parties dividing us voters by religion in name only bureaucrats. And the useful idiot groupies in today’s woke snowflake generations.
At $33 trillion and 5% interest I’d say we’ve been bankrupt for some time. If Dems win in November we’re toast.
How much of that does china think we owe them. After covid, we should declare that debt cleared.
We can’t forget these university Radical Islamic legal and illegal protesters are scum sucking Christian haters coming for your family too. Arrest and deport as soon as possible.
Your also paying off the student loans of these American and Jew haters too, that taxpayers are on the hook for.
Remember that the beginning of the student loan program was interest free loans. You can thank BIDEN the Let’s Go Brando dude for adding interest $% to the student loan program back in the 1970’s!!!!!!!!!!!!!
American taxpayers don’t need to payoff anymore student loans and back charge the student loans back to the students without interest.
Biden family and the wealthy millionaires of congress can all payoff the interest on current and past student’s interest on the loans.
And make those lug nut students pay the principle of their loans.
Many of those students will become wealthy doctors, lawyers and high wage earners. Many will vote for Demoncrats because of that scam on buying voters for 2024!
I agree with the debt problem but it wasn’t only Dems that caused it! A lot of politicians voted for it also! Here in Florida I correspond with my elected officials on X. They are very responsive and friendly. Doesn’t always work but they get your drift.
First, you’re not too bright if you think any of the folks you’re addressing actually come to this site’s comment section.
Second, Donald may be a businessman, but he’s a failed one at best. His “wealth” is all debt. Just like he dug the U.S. into deeper debt than the last six presidents put together, he is only looking to profit from the position if we accidentally allow him back in.
This is not a “Yay Joe Biden” comment, but rather a reminder that Donald is only good at ONE thing, which is really, really making the uneducated voters insist that he’s really great at finances when he very definitely is NOT.
What a troll baby your hiding behind a religious moniker facade, you should be ashamed. Another Trump derangement hatter, because your Biden is loosing it, physically and mentally.
Yeah, I guess since President Donald Trump is the only President to donate his salary to receive $1 for being President. Since he brought businesses back to the U.S.. Since President Trump gave the American Public jobs and Hope. Since President Trump started to pay off the National Debt by cutting the funds for stupid research that had no bearing on life that only common sense can be reality back home. Since President Trump hadn’t start a war during Presidency and became respected even to America’s enemies. Since other countries that didn’t cave-in to mainstream media did not attack Americans abroad and he is the only President met with North Korean leader on peace negotiations while other Presidents cowardice behind the Capitol walls. You must’ve not live in the U.S. during 2016 to 2020 because you have missed what was once valued in front of your eyes.
What do you mean we are Going Bankrupt ??? We’re already PAST being Bankrupt !!! For the most part, china already Owns America, because of the Weak kneed Corrupt Sellout Commie Politicians, Senator’s and Congress Critters have sold out America. They’re more interested in supporting the Globalist’s and Insider Trading, to fatten up Their bank accounts, and Phuk those who voted for them. Dan Bongino is Correct !! They don’t care about the people. They only care about how wealthy they can become by kissing Azz, and Puffing on Globalist’s Peter’s.
Amen to that!!
Amen!
Earth Day; Planet vs. Plastics fear mongering hype goes on as we are bombarded by climate change fear mongering during the next few months of the American 2024 presidential election period.
Going EV and electric stove, solar, wind turbine are nothing but an control platforms by the Chinese CCP to make dependent on China, America subservient to Xi. We already have large portions of American farmland sold to China. Most meat packing companies in control of the CCP.
Politicians have been bribed to perform and represent China, they no longer represent us American taxpayers. We will soon become part of the great Chinese social credit system if this presidential election is rigged once again.
Earth Day is a hijacked social media success by the United Nations to bring America come into the fold of the antichrist community.
We have been lied too many times to believe America is the land of the free and home of the brave.
We have been going down the path of Marxism since the stock market crash of the 20th century.
We have 24/7 news media, PBS, NPR propaganda bombarding us audio and visually on the good old smartphones and tablets. Leading us a little more away from our Constitution and the Bill of rights.
America has strayed from it’s Christian moral compass of being independent nation.
Actually that recycled plastic is really a petroleum product that can be made back into fuel if America’s technology scientist would do a new paradigm.
How plastics are made
This would really open up a new industry and keep our gas operated equipment and vehicles running for decades.
EV’s are health hazards to humans, garbage dumps to the environment. The recycled EV batteries have hazardous chemicals to groundwater.
No one yet has purchased an expensive replacement battery pack to fix their used car that costs more than the used EV is worth. The EV’s are a one shot expensive purchase future buyers don’t comprehend.
EV’s are the biggest scam since digital currency is minded by banks of computers supplied by solar power. Solar and wind power are an environmental nightmare in progress.
Undortunately, true.
Total control is their agenda. Uppity neighbors are a problem for anyone wanting to grow their own food. Stay away from uppity neighborhoods (you will not be allowed to be self-sufficient there. Uppity people expect you to live like they do). Farmland is being destroyed every day. What used to be an everyday lifestyle is now called prepping. Prepping is frowned upon by the elites. The elites believe they are superior.
What we are seeing is the Golden Rule in full action. That golden rule is, “He who has the Gold makes the Rules”. Whether you dig a hole to put up a birdfeeder, or build a skyscraper. The elites think, and DEMAND, that they have CONTROL over everything that those BENEATH them can do. I just call them as I see them. And that’s how I see it nowadays. Money and control, are ALL that matters to them. They may have 90 billion, but will fight you over 1 dollar. L.W.McQueary /aka / oldtroll57 at g mail dot com
They say the American currency has lost value,
And four counties have dropped it as world currency,
I don’t think so.
I get those letters in the mail asking for the American dollar.
Sometimes . More then 5 a week.
The American dollar is a live and well.
And there taxing us out of our daily bread,
There even a cross our southern boarder after it.
The American dream on our dime.
Our American dollar is the gold,
The great Xi puppet master planted Biden into office with wealthy like George Soros. Biden shuts down the oil drilling and open the southern, what do we common thinks was going to happen?
The low “T” male did what his handlers want him to do and say to divide Americans.
The open borders are preplanned like COVID was to disrupt our economy and transition us into Bidenomics the death nail of TEOTWAWKI.
The big pharma cure, Biden administration pushed a mandate get the VAX or loose your job. Needed to be tested before the mandate could work. There were and are side effects to the vaccine. Military members got heart issues from the VAX, the others got kicked out for not taking it.
Now there maybe another COVID scare before our next election in November.
What else will the Marxist do for another rigged election?
American currency is still stable we need to resume oil drilling and do the Alaskan copper mine that China Joe recently shutdown.
Here in Japan I could purchase chicken food freely at home centers, like any other product, but since about a year I’m forced to register my name, address and phone number at the check out counter; orhervise I would not have the right to buy…
People, can’t we go back to contributing something useful to the forum on this site rather than spouting all the negative, poisonous diatribes involving politics? I, personally, am sick of all this garbage and ready to just delete, delete, delete this site as SPAM.
@Sonny….So… from the tone of your message… are you anti-solar power & anti-wind power?
Are you planning to rely on fossil fuels/propane & generators for when the grid goes down? From a long term practical standpoint, might be unwise. I’m wondering if your sentiments are misplaced… maybe it is the type of batteries used, that are the problem – something I do indeed agree with.
I’ve installed solar to deal with the occasional multi-hour outages (storm brings down trees, vehicle’s hitting poles, etc) and yes it is also connected to the grid, and it does bring down the power bill. The battery bank (lead-acid) keeps the freezers going if power goes out. I’ve kept the gas generator for use on the back 40 (so to speak)
I live in Hungary. A small country in Eastern Europe. There are already small towns here where rainwater harvesting has been banned.