Natural Resources Law Private Rights and Collective Governance - American Casebook Series

This short, integrated text offers a fresh approach to a familar field. Instead of considering resources one by one and paying special attention to federal lands, Freyfogle steps back from nature and considers the functions that natural resources law performs whenever nature is divided into private use rights. He mixes cases involving a wide range of resources, from ice and seaweed to caves and subterranian formations, on private as well as public lands. Students gain a clear sense about the elements of private use rights while exploring the many ways law can promote collective decision-making among resource users. The book should be particularly appealing to law schools in regions with few federal lands and with instructors that want to focus on basic policy issues. A 3-hour course can cover the entire book.