Summary:
Achieving Abundance Ecology requires a direct relationship between man and the land, Abundance Ecologist Michael Shaw said in a presentation to the Trans-Heritage Association annual meeting and conference in Alpine Texas in May 2003. Shaw speaks from experience, having received acclaim for creating an ecological oasis from a weedy 75-acre parcel on the central coast of California -- what he calls "Liberty Garden."

"To release the potential productivity and diversity of a landscape, an owner must be free to engage in rigorous disturbance, and free to pursue a reasoned and creative process of trial and error. This process would be suited to the choice of each individual and the uniqueness of each property," Shaw said. Read some key excerpts from Shaw's presentation to the Trans-Texas Heritage Association.

What to Do About the Threat of Sustainable Development Summary: 8 helpful tips from Freedom 21 Santa Cruz [now Freedom Advocates] to improve the impact of your local efforts.

 Wildlands and Smart Growth programs are implemented through state and federal government agency directives. The Wildlands programs use government regulations to wrest control of rural lands away from private property owners. Smart Growth is a term used to describe high density commercial and residential development built within walking distance to rails and work. You will find similar programs developing in your community. It is not just property owners that are under attack. It is also your safety and freedom that is at stake.

Summary:
Habitat Conservation Plans (HCP) have two primary effects on the landscape; first, they prohibit the innovation that promotes ecological diversity and productivity, and second, they lead to an increased accumulation of fire fuel. Even the ostensible purpose of an HCP -- environmental protection -- is not served. The local adoption of an international fire code, called the Urban Wildand Intermix Code (UWIC), is the first step toward creating a countywide HCP.

Local citizen Nick Vrolyk makes clear to Santa Cruz County fire districts that their responsibility will change very dramatically from one of fire protection to one of facilitating the access to our private properties by U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS), under the auspices of fire protection. USFWS's agenda is to look for and map endangered species and wildlife habitats.

One must look to the real purpose in order to understand the goal of Habitat Conservation Plans -- they are part of a program designed to eliminate private property.