The Evolution of Resource Property Rights

This book traces the development of the standard property rights over five kinds of natural resource - inland rivers, ocean fisheries, petroleum resources, gold and base metals and forest resources - from classical times through to the 19th century. Completely private resources and those in the public (or Crown) lands are given equal attention and a simple supply-and-demand model is used to explain how property rights are altered over time.

Scott also provides the reader with a unique set of characteristics for defining rights and numerous case studies and examples of their evolution, highlighting the increasing recourse to common law courts and government legislation and the problems caused by competing demands on the same, limited resources. This book provides a unique insight into the historical development of property rights and makes a special plea for the multiple-purpose and multi-owner management of resource rights. It will provide a valuable resource for those interested in resource management, economic history, property rights, and development.

Anthony Scott was born and educated in Vancouver before moving on to Harvard University and the LSE for master's and doctoral degrees. After a period of research at Cambridge University and teaching at LSE, he joined the economics department at UBC and stayed until his retirement. During this period he served in Ottawa on Royal Commissions, at the OECD on environmental problems, at the FAO on fishery problems, in the US for the Columbia River Power Authority, and in Ottawa-Washington as Commissioner on the International Joint Commission (on boundary waters problems). He has held visiting positions at Queen's University, the University of Chicago, Canberra University, University of York, Nuffield College Oxford, University of Tasmania, and Harvard University. He has been a member of the executives of the American Economic Association and the American Association of Resource Economists; editor of the journal Canadian Public Policy; and President of the Canadian Economics Association.