The Alta Californian

Land use battles rage across California from the redwoods of our temperate rain forest to the desiccated Algodones/Imperial Sand Dunes. This fight is nothing new. Nor will it ever be settled permanently so long as the lands in question remain public. Land use decisions for Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and National Forest land hinge on local politics and the conservation/exploitation ideology of whoever is currently in the Whitehouse. Instead of fighting for control over public lands, conservation groups should be focusing on private ownership of land, including bringing public land private.

Buying lands for the purpose of conservation is the most effective way of removing them from the public tug-of-war. Once a tract of land is owned by a private organization dedicated to conservation, those who would develop that land have no recourse. That protection, however, relies on protecting private property rights as well - even the property rights of off road vehicle enthusiasts and developers. Areas such as deserts are particularly fragile environments because the resources to support life are more limited. They are stressed and damaged easily by human activity. But, desert land is also pretty cheap, meaning a whole lot of it can be protected at a relatively small cost.

Successful examples of private conservation already exist in this state. Santa Catalina Island is owned almost entirely by the Catalina Island Conservancy. The Nature Conservancy owns approximately 76% of Santa Cruz Island and other land world-wide. Just last summer (2006), this same organization purchased land in the Mt. Hamilton Range near San Jose and more near San Luis Obispo.

Population and resource demands will keep growing. By supporting private property rights and protecting land privately, conservationists can create a robust arrangement for protecting the natural world, even when public opinion sways in favor of development.