[KC_for_Freedom]

Basically this:

Owners of forest land, (or any open space site) are not rewarded for doing nothing with their land. The fact that many neighbors love the view and enjoy the land from beyond thre property line puts them at odds with the owner should the owner decide to thin log, (or subdivide).

The neighbors get together and protest, often bringing environmentalist tools to the battle. (file an environmental impact report please). the owner must sell to the worst logger of developer now to recapture the legal costs of this battle, so the environmentalists reap their worst nightmare.

Natural Processes suggests that a system of taxes be set up that benefits holders of open land in return for them not deciding to alter the beauty of the land. (Actually, the "deal" need not be expressed as I just did, if you have a beautiful site and maintain it for yours and your neighbor;s benefit, then you get a reward.)

I have also seen formal (government run ideas like this) but the government would be better left out of the management, because soon they will insist on easements on your land to accomodate these neighbors. So the idea can be carried too far. I hope this makes sense, I am in a rush. Later.

[Age of Reason]

Interesting scheme--but it will crumble under the press of people requiring housing.

Just as we assuaged our national conscience by citing the greater good for the most people when we stole or tricked Indians out of their land . . .

So will the growing masses make it legal to develop land wherever their bloated numbers prefer to live.

The surest and simplest way to slow development is to curtail runaway population growth from immigration.

Absent immigration, America's population growth would stabilize at near-replacement levels.