CONSERVATION AND REINVESTMENT ACT WOULD TURN GOVERNMENT INTO BIGGER PROPERTY OWNER

Landowners concerned about private-property rights are up in arms over a congressional plan to allocate $45 billion to be spent over the next 15 years to create parks, protect wildlife and restore beaches. From what has been debated so far, it seems property rights should be the least of our concerns.

The proposal would use revenue from offshore oil and gas drilling to put even more land under the control of the federal government. Why? There are ways to help the environment without making the government a bigger property owner. And who would replace the lost tax revenue?

This is another costly feel-good program that just doesn't make sense.