The California Alliance to Protect Private Property Rights (CAPPPR) is a coalition of family farmers, community and taxpayer advocates committed to exposing the dangers and abuses of eminent domain -- government's taking of private property from unwilling sellers.

Its founders started the organization after Yolo County, located across the river from our State's Capitol, decided to use its police power to seize the 17,300 acre Conaway Ranch from its unwilling sellers. Like the U.S. Supreme Court's decision to grant government greater power to seize private property this was an unprecedented decision by local government.

Usually, government only uses eminent domain as a last resort and then, only to build roads, airports or other public infrastructure -- but not to own and manage a ranch. What was equally startling was that the taking of Conaway Ranch was being financed by a local tribe's gambling profits!

But what began as a local effort to protect Yolo County's farmland from a county determined to join the U.S. Supreme Court in eroding private property rights has grown into a statewide movement -- a movement dependent on the support of private property rights supporters like you.

While our battle to save Conaway Ranch has been successful, our organization is determined to join with other concerned citizens to defend our Constitutional Rights. Private property rights will continue to be threatened unless California's elected leaders pass legislative reforms.

To defend these rights, we need to grow our organization and raise the financial resources required to bring about much needed reforms. Together, we will make sure that private property rights in California are not viewed as a myth.

Former State Senator Jim Nielsen is leading the crusade for eminent domain reform in California.