Property Rights

Ethan Blevins, legal fellow at Pacific Legal Foundation, recently joined The Charles C. W. Cooke Podcast for a lively discussion on the issue of federal land in the United States. Charles and Ethan explored the history of federal land management, the federal government's shift away from homesteading toward a policy of land retention, the issue o ...

You can't make housing cheaper by making it more expensive. But that's what Healdsburg's so-called "Inclusionary Housing Program" tries paradoxically to do. Jessica Pilling and her lawyers at Pacific Legal Foundation (where I work) understand that. When the City charged Jessica approximately $20,000 in inclusionary housing fees as a condition of he ...

When Mike Colosi moved to Florida, he had a simple but big dream: to build a beautiful home nestled within the serene, natural beauty of his newly acquired 5.07-acre property. He envisioned using only about an acre for his residence, leaving the rest untouched to preserve its natural tranquility. But instead of enjoying a home in his new surroundin ...

The holiday season is a time for nostalgia, joy, and reflection, and few things capture the spirit of the season like the classic children's holiday specials that have graced television screens for decades. These beloved tales are more than just seasonal entertainment—believe it or not, they offer timeless lessons about the foundations of a free ...

Clancy Kenck bought land in Missoula, Montana, with the intention of building a duplex where he and his two older brothers could live. Both his brothers are suffering from declining health issues, and Clancy wanted to provide them with care that would help make their lives a little easier. The road to executing his plan turned out not to be so s ...

Legend says the outlaw Butch Cassidy hid vast stashes of loot across the West. But those still hunting for Cassidy's treasure could join the Wild Bunch in outlaw status. Hunting for buried treasure on federal lands, it turns out, is a federal crime, and almost all the West where Cassidy roamed is federal land. But that's not all. If you were to ...

The City of Healdsburg, California, has agreed to settle a lawsuit filed less than two months ago by Jessica Pilling, a local mom represented by Pacific Legal Foundation. Jessica sued the City in September over its "inclusionary housing" ordinance, which tacked a $20,000 fee onto her family's homebuilding project. The City has now refunded the fee. ...

In a small corner of New York State, a family's quiet, peaceful home was shattered by an unthinkable intrusion. Environmental police stormed in, seized a rescued orphan squirrel named P'Nut, took him away, and put him down. All because his owner allegedly didn't have the right license. That's right: In New York you need a license to shelter injured ...

In the children's classic "The Lorax," Dr. Seuss created a character that claims to "speak for the trees." What was merely a piece of juvenile fiction is now threatening to cross over into reality. But instead of an imaginary cuddly creature, the main character in the real story is an army of lawyers, and lawsuits drive the plot. A new and unusu ...