Eminent domain, ' public use ', and the conundrum of original intent Author Melton B.F. Journal/Series Natural Resources Journal | Vol. 36(1); 59 - 85; 27 p. Date 1996 Source IUCN (ID: ANA-058567) Publisher | Place of publication University of New Mexico School of Law | Albuquerque, NM, USA Language English Country/Territory United States of America Subject Environment gen. Keyword Property rights Abstract The Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution reads, in part, that private property shall not 'be taken for public use, without just compensation'. Several state constitutions place similar public use limitations on the eminent domain power. Some state courts reacted to the rise of the corporation by reading the public use limitation strictly, requiring actual public access to the property taken in order to justify the taking. Other courtss adhered to a broader interpretation, which required only that the public benefit in some fashion from the taking. This debate produced a persistent confusion in legal doctrine that lasted for decades. Late twentieth century application of the 'public benefit' theory, now almost universal in the US, is thus congruent with the early meaning of'public use'