“Resolving the Tragedy of the Commons†: A Comment

At the outset I think it is important to recognize a fundamental con- ceptual distinction. That distinction is between wildlife as an input into a production process and wildlife as an output valued by hu- mans. The nature of economic goods is such that raw inputs are sel- dom valued for consumption in their original form. Some sort of entrepreneurial talent needs to be applied in order to transform those inputs into valued outputs. Even though the amenity value of wild- life often requires minimal interference with wild populations, the role of the entrepreneur is no less important here than in other pro- duction processes. Perhaps the most characteristic problem faced by a wildlife entrepreneur is how to provide human access to wildlife, so they may be seen and admired, without endangering the resource. In cases of nonamenity outputs, like the production of furs and meats, the entrepreneurial problems are more like those faced by producers of nonanimate goods...