Property Rights

My friend Bill sends along this article.

Residents of King County, Wash., will only be able to build on 10 percent of their land, according to a new law being considered by the county government, which, if enacted, will be the most restrictive land use law in the nation. Known as the 65-10 Rule (search), it calls for landowners to set aside 65 percent of their property and keep it in its natural, vegetative state. According to the rule, nothing can be built on this land, and if a tree is cut down, for example, it must be replanted. Building anything is out of the question.

I am all for the environment. I believe that there is a real benefit to the community to having a healthy eco-system. While one could quibble on the amount of land that should be left natural I will even provisionally agree that 65% is a good goal. That being said this is not the right way to achieve that goal. This is outright theft. If the community wants this land kept natural they should buy it, at market rate, and keep it natural. Or they could offer substantial property tax breaks to anyone who abides by the 65-10 standard. I have spoken to my friends that one of the great joys of my childhood was that we always lived near a ‘wild place’. It was great as a child to explore these undeveloped areas and experience nature on a day-to-day basis. I wish every child (and adult) could have that opportunity. I would support any program that would help to achieve this goal as long as it was fair. I think that there are a lot of really interesting ways to improve the environment and promote strong eco-systems that are also attractive and friendly to property owners and business.