Viet-Justice

Found on Digg. President Bush is authorizing the sale of up to 200,000 acres of National Forest land, mostly in California. Already the tree huggers are going nuts while cool capitalism is set to prevail.

“I am outraged, and I don’t think the public is going to stand for it for one minute,” said Wilderness Society policy analyst Mike Anderson. “It’s a scheme to raise money at the expense of the national forests, the wildlife, recreation and all the other values that Americans hold dear. It’s the ultimate threat to the national forest.”

Jerry Taylor of the Cato Institute, a libertarian think tank, said the proposed land sales make sense.

“Private property will end up in the possession of those who value it the most,” Taylor said. “That is an iron law of economics.”

Being a Libertarian I’m going to have to take the side of the Cato Institute here. Being an environmentalist I’m also going to have to take the side of the Cato Institute. One problem I have with the environmental movement is it places too much emphasis on the Federal government in protecting our natural resources. In the case of ANWR the government can rightfully order drilling for oil. It’s their dirt and they can do with their dirt as they please or they can sell it to other people. Hell, they can turn it into a nuclear missile test range for all I care. It’s their dirt. In this case The Wilderness Society and Mike Anderson really need to get on board with modern economic realities.

Governments fail.

Governments run out of money.

Government priorities shift.

The key to preserving the planet is private or local ownership, not national ownership. This should not be National Forest. It should be California Forest. It should be Colorado Forest. I’m sure you get the idea my fellow tree huggers. Schwarzenegger is probably going to do more to protect the forest than Bush. The tax payers of “Colly-Fornia” are probably going to support initiatives to spend their tax money on buying some of that National Forest and making it California Forest. That is the great thing about this entire issue is that the Federal government is putting up National Forest for sale for State, County, and City government to own. And let’s not forget ownership by logging companies, home owners, or non-profit environmental conservation agencies. Yes, Wilderness Society, Defenders of Wildlife, and Greenpeace I’m talking to you. Your membership can buy this land that is for sale and donate it to you as a gift. You do accept land and property as estate gifts at time of death, right? So, why not accept land that you can manage directly? Why not invest in mutual funds and take the profits to buy the environment rather than lobby Congress? Politicians will serve their own needs. If you truly believe in protecting the environment then do something on a small level. When thousands of like minded individuals come together anything is possible.