Last week, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced that it had settled a lawsuit brought by 20 states against … More
Tag: Property Rights
The role of property rights in steering climate adaptation
Charleston, South Carolina is particularly vulnerable to the impacts of sea level rise due to climate change. A low lying … More
Protecting the environment does not require us to abandon the rule of law
This week, briefing began in WildEarth Guardians v. U.S. Department of Justice, a case of critical importance to anyone concerned about … More
The Supreme Court wrestles again with the Clean Water Act’s due process deficit
Last week, the Supreme Court heard argument in the case challenging the WOTUS rule—the controversial rule defining the scope of … More
Can the government use tax foreclosures to destroy conservation easements without compensation?
Not paying your taxes should and does have serious consequences. Governments, and most people, have little sympathy for tax delinquents. … More
Historic preservation laws lead to deterioration, so does involuntary conservation
In Naperville, a suburb of Chicago, local activists succeeded in stopping the development of a mixed-use (residential & commercial) development … More
Can “perpetual” conservation easements be updated to changing circumstances?
Conservation easements are an increasingly important tool for protecting the environment. Roughly 24 million acres in the United States are … More
Will capitalism save the rhino?
Rhinos have been hunted to the verge of extinction because of their valuable horns. Most governments have responded, as they … More
Endangered species depend on private land for habitat, so why treat landowners as the enemy?
Designating uninhabitable private land as “critical habitat” discourages private conservation with no compensating benefit for species.
Property rights to the rescue of Maine’s seaweed
Concerns about the sustainability of Maine rockweed have an easy solution: property rights. If landowners also own these plants, they will be able to express their environmental values by conserving it and have an incentive to prevent overharvesting.
