Um... kind of went off on a tangent there, eh?
I would say, buck up and take the course. Once it's done, it's done... I assume you don't have to do it again. If you don't follow the laws in your state (as ridiculous as they may seem), then you're really no better than the people you're complaining about.
My .02 on that.
However, there may be some kind of stipulation for clearing land you own of predators, but I'm not sure. I think the best place to start would be to contact your local DEP agent.