The Economic Theory of a Common-Property Resource: The Fishery

1954 ◽  
Vol 62 (2) ◽  
pp. 124-142 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. Scott Gordon
Keyword(s):  
Economic Theory ◽  
Common Property ◽  
Common Property Resource

Vickers Hot Springs

2017 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-6
Author(s):  
Jennifer M. Bernstein
Keyword(s):  
Common Good ◽  
Common Property ◽  
Hot Springs ◽  
Public Access ◽  
Common Property Resource ◽  
Resource Conflict ◽  
Social Ecological ◽  
The Commons ◽  
Local Residents ◽  
The Common

Vickers Hot Springs is located near the rural Southern California town of Ojai, and local residents have long enjoyed soaking in the sulfuric pools. But as knowledge of the springs spread, the area saw increases in fights, traffic, burglaries, and drug use. In response, two residents purchased the land and committed to restore the property while allowing limited public access, subsequently generating a great deal of controversy within the community. Privatizing Vickers Hot Springs follows the archetypical lesson of Garrett Hardin's 1968 essay, “The Tragedy of the Commons.” Hardin stated that the problem for common-pool resources was that a finite amount of services are demanded by a potentially infinite number of users, who have little to gain by sacrificing for the common good. But Hardin's theory does not always apply. Many communities have come together to manage resources, often without government oversight. Thus, the question is not whether or not Hardin's theory is accurate, but rather “under what conditions it is correct and when it makes the wrong predictions.” Case studies provide nuance to the broad brushstrokes of a theory, and whether Hardin's parable is applicable depends on the particularities of the common property resource conflict. Employing the frameworks established by Hardin, Dietz et al., and Ostrom, this paper examines the management of Vickers Hot Springs within its broader social, ecological, and political context, asking whether the particular circumstances of this resource use conflict made privatization the most predictable outcome.

Guided Change Through Community Forestry A Case Study in Forest Management Unit 17 – Newfoundland

1989 ◽  
Vol 65 (5) ◽  
pp. 344-347 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. A. Roy
Keyword(s):  
Forest Management ◽  
Community Involvement ◽  
Common Property ◽  
Community Forestry ◽  
Management Unit ◽  
Coastal Forests ◽  
Community Forest ◽  
Common Property Resource ◽  
Forestry Project

For centuries the coastal forests of insular Newfoundland traditionally have been exploited as a common property resource for individual domestic purposes. Indiscriminate domestic cutting has led to deteriorated forests and to increased conflicts with commercial forestry interests. In recent years many approaches have been tried to manage domestic cutters. This article examines the process used by the staff of Forest Management Unit 17, on the Great Northern Peninsula, that led to a pilot community forestry project as a means of fostering responsibility and accountability in the wood cutting public. It is concluded that the process of changing the undesirable aspects of common property traditions requires adequate time and commitments of funding, staff, and community involvement. The community forest concept could be expanded to other Newfoundland Forest Management Units with high domestic demand and low supplies of accessible timber. Key Words: common property, domestic cutting, community forestry

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