Our Bay: This Week's Take: Private property, public pain

If there is much we do not understand about the many processes of nature, we are certain of the following things:

Before man arrived, our forests processed rain water in perfect harmony with Chesapeake Bay watershed aquatic and terrestrial life.

The Severn River was a magnificent part of the world's most productive estuary.

Aquatic vegetation was abundant, providing food and refuge for the web of aquatic life.

Even after man's arrival, the river and bay displayed beauty, abundance, and health for several hundred years.

The automobile arrived, became everybody's "necessity," spawning...