by Paul Jacob

I like trees, but I wouldn't call myself a tree-hugger, exactly. If there were trees on the land where my house was being built, I'm glad the builders chopped them down before laying the foundation. I wouldn't want an oak tree poking through my living room floor. Especially if it blocked my view of the television.

Often it's a good idea to chop down trees. But even if you just want trees for paper and lumber, you also want new trees to replace them. Which means we should demand respect for property rights.

Property rights in land serve many possible goals, from construction to conservation. They encourage wise care-taking. We are more careful and economical with stuff we own than we are with stuff that's being "managed" by bureaucrats.

Consider the country of Niger, where according to a New York Times report the tree population is surging. For many years, trees had been regarded as state property. But now the government has begun to respect the property rights of farmers to trees in their own fields.

According to Mahamane Larwanou, a forestry expert in Niger, "The benefits are so many it is really astonishing. The farmers can sell the branches for money. They can feed the pods as fodder to their animals. They can sell or eat the leaves. They can sell and eat the fruits. Trees are so valuable to farmers, so they protect them."

Or as one commentator put it, "Tree Owners are Tree Huggers."

Paul Jacob's "Common Sense" is published by the Sam Adams Alliance. Their website can be visited at www.samadamsalliance.org.