Environmentalism that makes sense


Preserving an old growth forest, but not through the courts
This is certainly better than a court injunction.

A stand of white oaks that may be older than the state will be preserved after an environmental activist struck a deal to buy the rural property and save the trees from a lumber mill.

Between 50 and 100 oaks are on the land, which was a mineral springs resort during the 1800s. Foresters estimate the trees are between 200 and 400 years old.

"You can almost hear those trees talk," said John Noel, the activist and businessman who stepped in to save the property. "You can feel it, the history. When John Hancock, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson were signing the Declaration of Independence, this forest was already growing."

Noel is paying $270,000 to investors who bought the 35 acres outside Dickson at auction in September and were planning to timber it for wood veneer.

"We made a handshake deal in the middle of that forest, and they kept it," said Noel, who also is a real estate investor.

"They listened to my plea not to cut that forest."

A few years ago an environmentalist group bid on grazing leases in Arizona. While some of the ranchers weren't happy. the lease did get upheld. That was the first time I saw that there were actually free market alternatives to suing someone into compliance.

To me, this makes a lot more sense than paying lawyers. It's probably a lot cheaper too.

Hat tip to Wren's Nest.

— NeoWayland

Posted: Thu - December 29, 2005 at 04:30 PM  Tag


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