Resource Policy

Natural resource policies provide the foundation for sustainable resource use, management, and protection. Natural Resource Policy blends policy processes, history, institutions, and current events to analyze sustainable development of natural resources. The book’s detailed coverage explores the market and political allocation and management of natural resources for human benefits, as well as their contributions for environmental services. Wise natural resource policies that promote sustainable development, not senseless exploitation, promise to improve our quality of life and the environment. Public or private policies may be used to manage natural resources. When private markets are inadequate due to public goods or market failure, many policy options, including regulations, education, incentives, government ownership, and hybrid public/private policy instruments may be crafted by policy makers. Whether a policy is intended to promote intensive management of natural resources to enhance sustained yield or to restore degraded conditions to a more socially desirable state, this comprehensive guide outlines the ways in which natural resource managers can use their technical skills within existing administrative and legal frameworks to implement or influence policy.

Contemporary thought in HRM focuses to a large extent on HR strategy, but neglects the policy function as the vital link between strategy and practice. Human Resource Policy describes how policies anchor HR practice and connect HR to organisational strategy. It reaffirms the importance of policy and the need for practitioners to possess skills in the research, development, writing and implementation of HR policies. The book also examines 16 important policy areas and discusses the various policy options that might apply, depending on the organisation’s nature, the legal framework that applies to it and its strategic needs.

Renewable Resource Policy is a comprehensive volume covering the history, laws, and important national policies that affect renewable resource management. The author traces the history of renewable natural resource policy and management in the United States, describes the major federal agencies and their functions, and examines the evolution of the primary resource policy areas. The book provides valuable insight into the often neglected legal, administrative, and bureaucratic aspect of natural resource management. It is a definitive and essential source of information covering all facets of renewable resource policy that brings together a remarkable range of information in a coherent, integrated form.

Why do governments make decisions? How do governments make decisions? What are the economic consequences of the decisions that governments make? Agricultural and resource policy is more than just theory, it is the application of economics to real world problems. Agricultural and Resource Policy develops a framework for analysis and investigates the issues that affect the sector internally and in interactions with the rest of the economy. Agricultural and Resource Policy is an invaluable text for students of agriculture, economics and business. It is also an important reference for those interested in the continuing development of agricultural industry.

This volume offers an objective view of some of the most critical issues in natural resources. Written in nontechnical language, it uses ideas drawn from economics to look at the issues, examine how government laws and policies have caused some of them arise, and to find ways in which problems can be lessened. Originally published in 1982, this is a valuable resource for students interested in environmental studies and public policy.

This volume addresses water policy issues related to water resources research, ground water, water conservation, urban water systems, water resource planning, supply and demand interaction, principles and standards, and cost-benefit analysis, as well as general, institutional aspects of local, state, regional, and federal policies. The five contributors are scientists with expertise in water resources policy; their associations with Congress, the administration, state and local governments, private industry, and the academic community provide broad perspectives of their subject. The focus of their concerns is the Carter administration's Water Policy Initiatives submitted to Congress in June 1978.

"Forest Resource Policy in Latin America" gathers the thinking of a score of experts on sustainable use and management of forests, including incentives for investment. The authors tackle the thorny social issues of property rights, deforestation, and forest management and ownership by indigenous people and take a hard look at the trade and environmental issues in forest production that will affect future directions for sustainable forestry development in Latin America. Some argue that the main opportunity to conserve natural forests lies in recognizing and paying for the environmental services they provide. In addition, compensatory measures such as the establishment and better management of strictly protected areas appear to be the best tools to delay the loss of ecosystems and species. Alternative forest concession policies and trade and environmental issues in forest production are also analyzed.

Many articles in the Reader were originally published in RFF's quarterly magazine, Resources. Wally Oates has supplemented that with material drawn from other RFF works, including issue briefs and special reports. The readings provide concise, insightful background and perspectives on a broad range of environmental issues including benefit-cost analysis, environmental regulation, hazardous and toxic waste, environmental equity, and the environmental challenges in developing nations and transitional economies. Natural-resource topics include resource management, biodiversity, and sustainable agriculture. The articles address many of today's most difficult public policy questions, such as environmental policy and economic growth, and 'When is a Life Too Costly to Save?' New to the second edition is an expanded set of readings on global climate change and sustainability, plus cutting-edge policy applications on topics like the environment and public health and the growing problem of antibiotic and pesticide resistance. For general readers, the RFF Reader has been an accessible, nontechnical, authoritative introduction to key issues in environmental and natural resources policy. It has been especially effective in demonstrating the contribution that economics and other social science research can make toward improving public debate and decisionmaking. Organized to follow the contents of popular textbooks in environmental economics and politics, it has also found wide use in beginning environmental policy courses.