A recent press release from American Stewards of Liberty (ASL) delves into a recent article by The New York Times (NYT) on the failed Natural Asset Companies (NACs) initiative and its subsequent attempt at rebranding. The NYT piece proposes a fresh approach where NACs would attribute a market value to ecosystem improvement rather than destruction, marking a departure from traditional conservation strategies.
"Proponents of NACs are committed to profiting off the 30×30 campaign that is eliminating the productive uses of our federal lands and blanketing America's private lands with conservation programs. These actions generate the 'ecosystem services' to be enrolled in the investment product where they intend to reap huge profits — all to save nature, of course," said Stewards of Liberty.
According to ASL, the article, titled "Nature Has Value. Could We Literally Invest in It?," explores the concept of NACs, which strive to assign a market value to improving ecosystems instead of destroying them. The Intrinsic Exchange Group (IEG), which was responsible for the unsuccessful NAC initiative, has indicated plans to rebrand and relaunch the concept. The New York Times article is perceived as the first significant piece introducing this new phase of the NAC idea.
The article acknowledges ASL's substantial role in thwarting NACs, depicting them as a "right-wing group" opposed to conservation measures. It cites that the organization's efforts, including grassroots campaigns and lobbying, helped frame NACs as a potential threat to national sovereignty. The argument that NACs could enable foreign control of rural America, particularly public lands, coupled with criticism from Republican attorneys general and congressional committees, further ignited skepticism around the NAC concept, leading to its discontinuation.
ASL notes that supporters of NACs have amassed considerable backing, "whether knowingly or not". In Kansas, an alliance of 35 organizations has been established with the goal of encouraging the state legislature to set up a consistent and sustainable funding source for voluntary conservation efforts, totaling $50 million annually. This coalition includes diverse entities such as the Kansas Farm Bureau, Evergy, Kansas Wildlife Federation, The Nature Conservancy, and various agricultural and environmental organizations.
"We expect to see the NAC concept formally reemerge in the future," says ASL. "Partnered with those seeking short-term monetary gains without regard for the long term damage they will do to our land, liberty and national sovereignty."
ASL is a non-profit organization dedicated to defending property rights and local control by educating state and local officials, as well as property owners, about federal actions that pose a threat to property rights.
