Our Copyright system is completely out of whack!!!!!

Nicole and I were in CA this past weekend. We were in Big Sur for a wedding, and on the way to the airport we swung by Carmel to do the famous 17 mile drive. One of the stops was a famous Cypress, the "Lone Cypress". It was quite beautiful. It was copyrighted.

WHAT THE FUCK!?

The text didn't come out in the pic, but that plaque essentially says that the lone Cypress is copywrighted by the Pebble Beach Company, and any use of the image of it is prohibited. Personal use was ok, but that was it.

To which I say, that the hell!? Can i copyright the Sun as my logo? Can I demand a usage fee from everyone on earth when they wake up and make use of the suns light? Did the Pebble Beach Company plant the lone Cypress?  Can I use the Rockies as my logo? Not the Coors Rockies, but the real ones? Can I then charge skiers for every photo they take? Can I charge the resorts that take action shots on the slopes?

Our copyright office must be a bunch of complete idiots. Copyright "A" Cypress tree, sure. But a real life Cypress tree? that exists and is a work of natures wonder? That's just crap!