Okay, let's say I rush out and buy 100 hundred acres of woodland to be conserved. What happens when on an adjoining 20 acres a brewery opens up and in this pure capitilistic scenario they decide it's cheaper to toss the chemical byproducts out the back door rather than pay for proper cleanup and removal.
This chemical byproduct moves into my area killing the nature I was trying to conserve.
No, Environmental Protection and conservation has a proper role for government. Left to their own devices buisnessmen would too often take the lowest cost solution even if it harmed their neighbors and workers. History bears my point out.
Then you sue the b@stards for fouling your property. It's the American way...