ABSTRACT
Because wildlife in North America belongs to the public rather than to individuals, it is a shared resource-a commons. The government, through state and federal agencies, manages the resource for the citizens and in the public’s best interest. However, management and decision making can be challenging, as is the case with any common property. The same wildlife resource can be valued for very different reasons. People have diverse and even conflicting wildlife values (see Chapter 9). While the uses and values of wildlife vary between individuals, cultures, and regions, the underlying human dimensions problem is consistent: How do we balance sustainable use and distribution of resources while recognizing the needs and desires of many different interests?
