John Yearwood, who lives in Central Texas, faces fines and imprisonment unless he obtains permits from the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) to use his own property. The USFWS alleges that an endangered species of spider might live on Yearwood’s property.
Yearwood is a decorated Vietnam veteran. Which means, he risked his life to defend individual rights, including the right to property. Yet, the federal government demands that he obtain its permission before he uses his land.
In all endangered species cases the alleged well-being of plants and animals supersedes the property rights of humans. Humans are to be denied the freedom to use their land if it might endanger the habitat–real or potential–of certain species. In this case, human well-being is to be sacrificed to a blind spider.
But the real issue is more fundamental. The USFWS doesn’t have to prove that the spider actually lives on Yearwood’s property. It merely needs to allege that his property is a potential habitat for the spider. In a court of law, an allegation must be supported with evidence. But to the USFWA evidence is unnecessary. The USFWA makes arbitrary claims to prosecute and persecute property owners.
Man survives by altering nature to create the values upon which his life depends. To do so, he must use reason. He must identify the facts and the course of action that will create the values he desires. At the root, attacks on property rights are an attack on reason. The USFWS is evidence of that fact.