Natural resources issues are complex, often emotional, and almost always political. Efforts to improve natural resources management practices must take into account the scientific aspects of an issue plus these other dimensions. This book explains how to address and resolve the human issues underlying natural resources problems. It shows how the policy sciences—a systematic method for analyzing and proposing solutions—can be applied to any natural resources policy and management problem. The policy sciences approach proves flexible, widely applicable, and useful in developing realistic alternatives in diverse situations.

The book begins with a discussion of what natural resources are, how people make decisions about using them, and how the policy sciences can be used toward improving policy and management practices. Ten case studies inside and outside the United States follow. Policy science methods are applied to such problems as endangered species conservation, urban parks, the development of energy projects, the relations between national parks and people who live near them, ecotourism and biodiversity, and the relation between human rights and environmental conservation in refugee situations.