Mountain Forests as Common-Property Resources: Management Policies and their Outcomes in the Colorado Rockies and the Swiss Alps

Abstract

"Implementation, and results of policies for managing the forests of the Colorado Rockies and the Swiss Alps, with emphasis on two study areas in each region. The Pikes Peak (Colorado) and Davos (Switzerland) areas have been adjacent to regional urban centers since the late 19th century. The Summit (Colorado) and Aletsch (Switzerland) areas have experienced a rapid change from a resource-based to a tourism-based economy since the 1950s. The study's theoretical basis is that of common-property resources. Three primary outputs of the forests are considered: wood, recreation, and protection. The latter includes both the protection of watersheds and the protection of infrastructure and settlements from natural hazards."