Within most of our lives, we have witnessed a drastic change in societal attitudes toward the natural environment. Many among us will likely remember a time when the great outdoors was considered something to be contended with, conquered, and possibly feared. However, as we have improved both our understanding of the natural environment and our technological capacity, our attitudes toward it are changing.

We now understand that “proper stewardship of our forests, rivers, rangelands and open spaces is an essential part of our everyday life.” And, just as importantly, many people, businesses, government agencies, and non-profit organizations have recognized that “individuals and organizations possess the local knowledge needed to make effective stewardship decisions.” Therefore, we believe that whenever we can relocate “land use and management decisions from state bureaucracies to individuals in the field,” we “will incentivize the best decision,” without the need for intrusive regulations, or so-called experts to monitor and approve or disprove of our every action and decision.

At this Policy Forum, Jason Hayes will discuss how seven basic principles can start legislators and regulators off on the right path by ensuring private property rights are protected and the productive and creative abilities of free markets are maximized.