I would like to respond to an editorial in the December 2 Fargo Forum (Roadless grasslands idea not that radical) and the December 15 Bismarck Tribune by Tim Fought (North Dakota should work toward acceptable wilderness plan) The Forum editorial answers complaints from the North Dakota Petroleum Council that roadless areas in federal grasslands are detrimental to oil and gas production. The unnamed author of the editorial assumes: 1. Industry is bad for the environment, 2. Conservation is a government responsibility and 3. We are running out of land (i.e. the sky is falling).

Mr. Fought probably has a more realistic view of society than his co-savior of the earth in the Forum, but still feels government is responsible for conservation and industry is harmful to the environment. If we take their rationale that industry is harmful to the environment to its logical conclusion, how long will it be before they conclude that humanity is harmful to the environment?

Both authors feel conservation is a government responsibility. Art Burger, an elderly conservationist said it best, "The pride of private ownership is the best guarantee of good stewardship." If we in fact do have an environmental crisis, it is because we have too little private ownership, not too little government involvement.

Mr. Fought believes the Legislature should "maintain ranchers in the Badlands...(by making)... it dirt simple to buy and sell conservation easements." He feels this will keep ranchers on the land. Conservation easements restrict the future development of property and guarantee the owner will not participate in any future windfall. As one wise person said, "If you have a conservation easement on your property, you have reserved the right to pay property tax and given every other right away." This must be why hunters, landowners and other interested parties are filing a lawsuit against the state of New York for misrepresenting the benefits of conservation easements.

Farmers, ranchers and other industries that create new wealth have too many restrictions on their profitability already. We have had enough of liberty thieves dressed as do gooders misrepresenting the benefits of their selfish and underhanded easements that guarantee poverty to property owners.