§-ENV

## Environmental Law

### Policy

*Recognizing that climate change is a natural process, and that adaption should be the primary focus.*

Recognizing the planet's cycles of climate change throughout history, ignoring the superstitious doomsday believers, the government of New Udonia will not be pursuing a policy of combating climate change. Instead, the Department of Natural Resources will be working with the Department of Technology to innovate new ways of adaption to a changing climate.

### Development

#### Legal

*Granting residents priority over businesses for agricultural land development is legal.*

In order to prevent the abuse of welfare, the state will be granting local residents priority on purchasing arable government land for agricultural purposes. If residents do not wish to purchase such land, or if they do, all remaining tracts will be sold to outside entities.

*Developing mines in environmentally stable regions is legal.*

Recognizing the danger of runaway mining privileges while also acknowledging the insanity of non-interventionist environmental thinking, mining privileges will be granted in all environmentally stable areas.

*Public investments for improving coastlines for tourism is legal.*

In order to increase healthy tourism, public investments from the Department of Natural Resources will go into improving coastlines for tourism and recreation.

*Requiring metropolises to research alternative power to reduce city pollution is legal.*

Research into wind, water, and solar power resources will be launched by the Department of Technology in order to eliminate the health risk posed by low-lying pollution, including smog and acid rain.

*Hydroelectric dam construction alongside New Udonia's major rivers is legal.*

In order to guarantee the environmental sustainability of our energy sources and to increase power production, hydroelectric dams are authorized to be constructed along the major rivers. Opponents to this movement may be assured that all efforts will be taken to minimize environmental damage.

*Mandatory environment development replacement is legal.*

In order to protect our environment from further degradation, any new development must coexist with the funding and development of natural resources in order to balance the system. The Department of Natural Resources will oversee this and enforce these regulations on new development.

#### Illegal

*It is illegal to develop designated wildlife regions.*

In order to guarantee the environmental sustainability of our nation, designated regions cannot be developed. This will increase the health of our nation and will be overseen by the Department of Natural Resources.

*Damaging ancient ruins for development without local approval is illegal.*

In order to guarantee the strong history of our nation, ancient monuments must be preserved. In order to determine if the monument is worthy of being preserved or not, a referendum of the local population shall be held shortly after discovery.

### Stewardship

#### Legal

*Offering bounties for assistance in clearing the environment of invasive species is legal.*

The Department of Natural Resources will have the legal right to offer bounties to the populace for assistance in clearing the environment of invasive species. These species must be officially labeled as invasive, by the Secretary of Natural Resources, before such bounties can be carried out.

*Granting funds to the Department of Natural Resources in order to prevent forest fires is legal.*

Funds will be granted to the Department of Natural Resources in order to prevent forest fires. Forests will be divided through tactical clearing in order to prevent massive spreading of forest fires. Technology will be invested in which offers a chance to detect forest fires before they become uncontrollable. Clearing will be carried out through lumber and timber operations, not controlled fires, as mistakenly translated earlier.

*Taxing inefficient packaging is legal.*

In order to prevent manufactures from embracing inefficiency, all inefficient packaging will be taxed. Packing will be determined to be inefficient by the Department of Natural Resources' Bureau of Recycling and Collection. All taxes will go directly into Bureau of Recycling and Collection revenue which will be used to assist in the management of active recycling programs.

*State-sponsored annual treasure hunts are legal, and will be instituted in National Parks.*

In order to increase the usage of designated resource sectors, annual treasure competitions will be implemented. This will encourage people to take a healthy vacation, increase the economy for rural businesses, and overall give the Department of Natural Resources some positive reputation.

*Selling 50% of New Udonia's beaches to private industry, in order to guarantee their stewardship, is legal.*

In order to prevent the destruction of one of New Udonia's greatest tourist attractions, over 50% of New Udonian beach rights will be sold to private industry in order to guarantee their safekeeping. Businesses will charge certain fees for access and privileges, enabling the beaches to be kept safe and clean. Competition will bring clean shores.

*Hiking trail tollbooths are legal.*

 In order to increase healthy environmental recreation, certain, designated public parks will begin charging a small fee for entry. This will enable the Department of Natural Resources to protect the parks without running up a debt.

#### Illegal

*The industrial releasing of contaminated water into rivers or other natural bodies of water is illegal.*

In order to prevent unnecessary pollution of our water system, the industrial releasing of contaminated water, defined to be containing synthetic chemicals or industrial waste, is illegal.

*The unsafe disposal of industrial waste is illegal.*

In order to prevent industries from ruining the environment, all industrial waste must be disposed of at proper waste destruction centers. Any industries which are found guilty of unwillingly polluting the environment will be subject to investigation and heavy fines. Any industries which are found guilty of willingly polluting the environment will be dissolved and assets confiscated.

*Non-biodegradable commercial bags are illegal.*

 In order to protect the nation from further destruction caused by negligence and littering of our environment; all commercial bags must be biodegradable. In order to allow this process to be a smooth transition, companies which switch to biodegradable bags before the deadline will receive a 5% decrease in corporate taxes for the remainder of the transition period.

*Additional waste and recycle bins will be constructed in public areas, outlawing acts of littering.*

In order to decrease the waste which ruins the natural beauty of our public parks, the Bureau of Recycling and Collection will be constructing and collecting these bins in order to heal damaged environments. Those who do not use these bins will be subject to a large fine, whose revenue will go straight to the Bureau of Recycling and Collection.

### Wildlife

#### Legal

*It is legal to declare species endangered if sufficient evidence is gathered.*

In order to protect our environment, without acting as a "helicopter-parent", all species believed to be endangered must be researched fully. Once suitable data is collected, species populations can be evaluated properly.

*It is legal to kill any predatory shark within one mile of New Udonian beaches.*

In order to protect our environment, and prevent the loss of human life, it is legal to kill any predatory shark within one mile of New Udonian beaches. If a shark is killed outside of this boundary, the individual must report the incident to the Department of Natural Resources.

#### Illegal

*It is illegal to allow caged salmon to contact wild populations.*

In order to guarantee the health and success of the fishing industry, caged salmon must be contained and not allowed to mix with wild populations. This is to prevent the contamination and spread of pathogens, which both species are constantly threatening to endanger each other with.

*Poaching of endangered species is illegal.*

Populations which are low in numbers, will be granted protection from hunting activities. Hunting activities will be authorized for populations who remain above a stable population. Individuals who poach creatures which are banned will be restricted from all future hunting rights, if accused of smuggling they may also lose additional rights.

#### Unregulated

*The hunting of invasive species, destructive to the environment, is unregulated.*

In order to protect our environment from invasive species, not native to New Udonia, all invasive species located in the wild (excluding captivity) must be terminated. The Bureau of the Police Service will be offering bounties and will assist civilians in exterminating the invasive populations.

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