6/02/00 4:55 p.m.
A Better Shade of Green?
Bush takes a step in the right direction.

By Jonathan H. Adler is an author & editor of Ecology, Liberty & Property

n the same week that the Clinton administration proposed further federal land-use restrictions in the West, Texas governor George W. Bush outlined an alternative environmental agenda. Speaking in scenic Lake Tahoe, Bush outlined a five-point plan for “building conservation partnerships,” stressing the involvement of state and local governments and private conservation groups. The plan includes tax relief, economic incentives, and awards for private conservation efforts, as well as substantial new spending on government land acquisition. Call it “compassionate conservation.”

Bush's willingness to campaign aggressively on issues that presumably belong to Al Gore is admirable. Unlike Bob Dole in 1996, and most congressional Republicans since, Bush is actively challenging the Left's hegemony over environmental issues. Much as conservatives recaptured the welfare issue by demonstrating that compassion need not entail federal handouts, the Bush campaign is suggesting that environmental protection need not entail federal dictates from Washington, D.C.

Unfortunately, Bush's environmental message remains a bit muddled. While stressing “flexibility,” “decentralization,” and “positive incentives” for conservation on private land, Bush also endorsed a dramatically increased federal role in conservation efforts. In yesterday's speech Bush proudly noted that “all but three percent of the land in our state is privately owned,” and then proceeded to endorse $2 billion in federal funding for land acquisition. One-half of the money is to support conservation by state and local governments, according to Bush's proposal, leaving the other half for Uncle Sam, who already owns one of every three acres in the nation and does a miserable job of protecting them.

Despite the flaws in his environmental program, Bush deserves credit for stressing the importance of local and private efforts in environmental protection. The green conventional wisdom holds that only government — and the federal government at that — can advance environmental values. From this standpoint, Bush's call for greater private efforts and the elimination of barriers to private conservation such as the estate tax (recommended on NRO 4/18/00), represents real progress in the environmental debate. If W. stays this course, he may yet offer a better shade of green.