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“The best conserver of land in use will always be the small owner or operator, farmer or forester or both, who lives within a securely placed family and community, who knows how to use the land in the best way, and who can afford to do so.”
Established in 1995, ConservAmerica is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to the development and advancement of sound environmental and conservation policy. As Americans, we share a common interest in protecting our shared legacy – the environment. We believe in the protection and preservation of our national heritage through sound public policy that leverages private investment, embraces local solutions, and spurs innovation. Conservation that protects the environment and the economy is a bipartisan endeavor. Some call these principles “conservative.” We call them “common sense.”
ConservAmerica is committed to working with policymakers and stakeholders to build consensus around policies that can endure for generations, not just a single administration or Congress. To echo President Ronald Reagan, it is “our great moral responsibility” to protect our shared environment for future generations.
We did not arrive at this place in history alone. We are standing on the shoulders of previous generations whose wisdom and forbearance delivered our current bounty and we are duty bound to pass it on unspoiled.
We do not think of ourselves as “environmentalist” because caring for the world around us is something we do every day.
A personal connection to nature is fundamental to our happiness, well-being and development. To quote the late Sen. Ted Stevens of Alaska: “Get outside and play.”
Belief in the existence of a moral order that links our past, present and future.
Tradition matters. Custom, convention, and continuity are important connections to the wisdom of our forefathers and the natural world they entrusted to us.
Character matters. We are defined by the relationships we create and nurture.
Personal freedom and individual responsibility are inextricably linked.
Environmental protection and economic growth, prosperity and progress are not mutually exclusive.
Private property rights are part of the solution, not the problem. Natural resources on private property are managed more sustainably and in better condition than those subject to political management or left in the public commons.
Market-based solutions are preferable to government regulations and mandates.
Conservation begins at home. Decisions about conservation and land management should be made by the least-centralized authority available in cooperation with those who have the greatest incentive and the best information to protect the environment – the local community.
Competition improves performance.
Performance-based standards provide more efficient incentives for meeting objectives and allow for innovation and greater flexibility compared to prescriptive mandates.
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“We have fallen heirs to the most glorious heritage a people ever received, and each one must do his part if we wish to show that the nation is worthy of its good fortune.”
