Abstract

Are property rights in ecological resources compatible with environmental protection? Might they be essential?

Working at the local level, conservationists have often rediscovered Aldo Leopold’s counsel that private rights can be more effective than government regulation. Conservation goals have been dramatically enhanced by the growth of land trusts and increasing use of property instruments such as conservation easements. Land ownership in fee simple is one way a conservation organization may protect a particular place, but it is hardly necessary in many contexts. Conservation easements and other partial interests in land are often a highly cost-effective alternative, particularly where conservation is compatible with other land-uses. Over the past several decades, the use of such tools has expanded dramatically, facilitated by legal reforms that have facilitated and encouraged such efforts.

This abstract has been taken from the author's introductory paragraphs.

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2019

Publication Information

59 Natural Resources Journal x-xix (2019)

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