Don’t bet on it. My Dad bought 200 acres of coastal property for development. Initially we gave concessions for wetlands and conservation easments, nearly 3 acres for every 5 acre parcel for sale, plus nearly 40 acres of untouched land as wetlands. Then he made the mistake of moving a couple of trucks of sand to dig an additional septic tank, originally required by the state. Well, 5 years and 2 million dollars later, (no court case mind you while the development was put on hold for 5 years by the mere threat of legal action by the state), the lawyers and insurance company have finally reached a settlement with the DEP and Civilian Corps of Engineers. Meanwhile the sand is back in the damn hole and the fish have herders!
The biggest difference between the U.S. and the old Soviet Union is that Americans haven’t discovered yet the only way to get cooperation from the bureaucracy is to grease the wheels with a generous payoff slipped under the table.