Talking Points on the Environment #15

A Species Protection Plan That Works for Both Wildlife and Humans

Although most Americans oppose the excesses of the Endangered Species Act, many also favor some form of species protection for the most valued species. The best way to protect these species while protecting individual liberty is through a voluntary, incentive-based system.

Elements of such a system might include:

• Tax for Nature Swaps: Incentives could be offered to private property owners to create rather than destroy wildlife habitat by making changes to the tax code. Losses in federal tax receipts resulting from such tax breaks would be made up from profits generated from publicly-held natural resources.

• Advice and Information: The federal government's role in species protection could be changed from a coercive role to an advisory one, thereby fostering cooperation rather than confrontation. Government could offer information resources to encourage and assist landowners with their own conservation efforts.

• Cash for Species Protection: Cash payments could be provided to landowners for their conservation efforts, ending the unfunded federal mandate for species protection and strengthening private property rights in the process. The large increases in federal ESA funding needed to make these payments could be paid for with profits generated from publicly-held natural resources.

• Privatization: Greater "pride of ownership" -- and thus environmental stewardship -- could be fostered by giving individuals greater control over their own land and greater ownership of all lands (by selling off some surplus federal land).

• Rewards for Responsibility and Innovation on Public Lands: Efforts to preserve species on public lands could be enhanced by rewarding those who improve habitat with such incentives as favorable lease terms.

• Conservation through Commerce: Private breeding of endangered and threatened species could be encouraged by reducing government interference. The development of private, for-profit wildlife and hunting reserves and captive breeding programs in recent decades has led to the recovery of such species as alligators in Florida, Bighorn sheep in Wyoming and elephants in five African countries.

Recommendations developed based on information from David Ridenour of The National Center for Public Policy Research; Myron Ebell, formerly of the American Land Rights Association; John Shanahan of The Heritage Foundation; and EcoSanity by Joseph L. Bast, Peter J. Hill and Richard C. Rue (Madison Books, 1994).

Issue Date: April 12, 1995.

Talking Points on the Economy: Environment #15, published by The National Center for Public Policy Research, 501 Capitol Ct NE, Washington, D.C. 20002 Tel. (202) 543-4110, Fax (202)543-5975, [email protected], http://www.nationalcenter/inter.net. For more information about Talking Points on the Economy: Environment #15 contact Bob Adams at 202/543-4110 or [email protected]

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