Policy Researcher For Heartland Institute

Part Three: National Heritage Areas: Just a drop in the bucket of conservation tools

To say land conservation is a booming government business would be an understatement. Likewise, to claim only a small fraction of America’s lands are protected from environmental degradation, and that more work is needed to expand the number of acres already in conservation or preservation programs, would be pure fallacy.

From wildlife protections to heritage sites to national monuments and parks, as administered by the likes of the Forestry Department, Bureau of Land Management and National Park Service, the number of programs, conserved acres and conservation sources has reached a mind-boggling level – and some see this as a dangerous and potentially irreversible trend that will negatively impact both private property rights and the taxpayers’ purse.