Enjoyed this and it does have a very serious side. There are lots of enthusiasts locally for re wilding , it’s the thing to do. Some even calling for it nationally instead of farmland , especially for animals. Re wilding is another way to destroy our real food system’s.
It is complicated to pin down. The requirements and "approved" landscaping come from different sources. There are many things that they are trying to address.
There are the obvious issues of the "aesthetics" and perceived impacts on property values.
The yards that attract butterflies and flowers for bees to pollinate are wonderful but when they harbor rats and other pests, not so much. There are problems as to risks of fires. There are problems of properties being used to hide illegal activities. The rules for how much of a property is paved over for instance are part of flood control. There are also rules for how many trees a property has in its landscaping hoping to fight heat islands that are formed by cities.
There are problems with the conflict of property rights. Besides just what you can do on your own property, there are the effects on neighboring properties. It isn't cut and dried as different people have differing opinions on what is "natural" and what is "derelict."
One of the biggest problems is that many HOAs and local governments use boilerplate regulations that are not specifically tailored to the local environment. They are not taking into consideration any unusual conditions such as water restrictions imposed by drought conditions. It is especially bad when they create rules to maintain a manicured green lawn in the middle of a freaking desert such as you see in parts of California, Nevada, and Arizona.
That is assuming that you can even recreate a "natural" environment. Without the balance of things like having natural predators, normal fires, and a normal succession of species, you don't have a natural environment. Natural environments change over time. They are not just static.
Enjoyed this and it does have a very serious side. There are lots of enthusiasts locally for re wilding , it’s the thing to do. Some even calling for it nationally instead of farmland , especially for animals. Re wilding is another way to destroy our real food system’s.
It is complicated to pin down. The requirements and "approved" landscaping come from different sources. There are many things that they are trying to address.
There are the obvious issues of the "aesthetics" and perceived impacts on property values.
The yards that attract butterflies and flowers for bees to pollinate are wonderful but when they harbor rats and other pests, not so much. There are problems as to risks of fires. There are problems of properties being used to hide illegal activities. The rules for how much of a property is paved over for instance are part of flood control. There are also rules for how many trees a property has in its landscaping hoping to fight heat islands that are formed by cities.
There are problems with the conflict of property rights. Besides just what you can do on your own property, there are the effects on neighboring properties. It isn't cut and dried as different people have differing opinions on what is "natural" and what is "derelict."
One of the biggest problems is that many HOAs and local governments use boilerplate regulations that are not specifically tailored to the local environment. They are not taking into consideration any unusual conditions such as water restrictions imposed by drought conditions. It is especially bad when they create rules to maintain a manicured green lawn in the middle of a freaking desert such as you see in parts of California, Nevada, and Arizona.
Most people do not want wilderness. They want curated and manicured trails and pretend to call it wilderness.
That is assuming that you can even recreate a "natural" environment. Without the balance of things like having natural predators, normal fires, and a normal succession of species, you don't have a natural environment. Natural environments change over time. They are not just static.