Orange County Register : Cure homelessness with more housing, not more subsidies
This Thanksgiving, millions of Americans will gather around tables filled with food, but millions of others will have no table at all. Homelessness has surged in many major American cities, even in a nation overflowing with wealth and land. The problem is not that we have run out of space, materials, or compassion. It is that we have surrounded the ...
A Phony Fish Story Reveals the Need for Endangered Species Act Reform to Unleash American Energy
A remarkable story emerged as The New York Times rewrote an infamous 1970s trope when it revealed that scientists had invented an 'endangered species' -- a tiny fish called the snail darter -- to stop a southeastern energy project. "Saving" the snail darter became a model for how to leverage laws designed to protect the environment to kill energy a ...
Halloween and the Constitution : A spooky look at your rights
Today is Halloween—a night of costumes, candy, and, if you're lucky, a few harmless scares. But I couldn't help wondering: How does the Constitution intersect with the celebration of Halloween? Turns out, more than you might think. Masks, messages, and the First Amendment The most obvious connection between Halloween and the Constitution com ...
Wall Street Journal : Government Steals Land in the Name of Birds and Frogs
Michael Colosi wants to build a home on his property in Charlotte County, Fla. But because the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has designated the land a habitat for a threatened bird—the Florida scrub jay—Mr. Colosi must either forfeit the use of his land, agree to expensive mitigation measures, or pay a nearly $140,000 fee to the county that he ...
Advancing abundance and prosperity through freedom and ingenuity
At Pacific Legal Foundation, we believe people are the ultimate resource. Our Environment and Natural Resources (ENR) practice roots itself in the conviction that when human creativity is unleashed through liberty, it solves problems and expands the world's potential. The future isn't built on fear or control—it's built on freedom and innovation. ...
What I saw (and didn’t see) at last week’s Abundance Conference
At the Abundance Conference last week in Washington, D.C., what I saw was something rare in today's politics: nonpartisan optimism. People from different backgrounds and perspectives came together not to trade insults or score partisan points, but to share ideas about how to make America more prosperous. Just as important, what I did not see was tr ...
Make America Beautiful Again Commission, the right vision if it avoids more red tape
President Trump's Make America Beautiful Again Commission reflects many of the goals we pursue in PLF's Environment and Natural Resources practice group: Americans should be free to use and care for our lands and resources in ways that promote prosperity and human flourishing. The plan for this Commission gets quite a bit right. It recognizes that ...
The Dakota Scout : Biden’s backdoor land grab deserves congressional reversal
In the last few days of 2024, the Biden administration quietly released Public Land Order 7956 — an administrative maneuver that halted mineral development across more than 20,000 acres in western South Dakota. The move immediately blocked F3 Gold's mineral exploration plans, even though the company had secured a lawful permit from the U.S. Depar ...
American Spectator : Eliminate Affordable Housing Mandates to Make Housing More Affordable
If you want to build housing on your property, can the government demand that you first give your land to someone else to live on? Or that you pay for someone else's house (on someone else's property) before you get a permit to build housing for yourself? You would think the answer would be a resounding, "Of course not!" But consider the case of Je ...