The Politics and Economics of Park Management examines national protected area systems, in both developed and developing countries, that have made a transformation from 'fortress parks' to a sustainable use model. The contributorspark management, academics, and members of nongovenmental organizationscontend that successful institutional change in protected area systems involves not only the adoption of appropriate legal and regulatory regimes covering sustainable use, but also the development of an informal culture of sustainable resource use among all of a park's stakeholders. While this latter requirement is often difficult to achieve, the contributors show how these informal attitudes may evolve over time, both within the management structure of a park agency and the community of resource users. The case studies cited represent examples of successful institutional change, demonstrating both financial and conservation benefits to protected area agencies, that should serve as model for managing parks today.

Terry L. Anderson is Executive Director of the Political Economy Research Center in Bozeman, Montana. Alexander James is a doctoral research student in the Department of Land Economy at the University of Cambridge.

Chapter 1 Introduction: Parks, Politics, and Property Rights
Part 2 Theoretical Approach
Chapter 3 An Institutional Approach to Protected Area Management Performance
Part 4 Applications: Successful Park Institutions
Chapter 5 The National Parks Board Experience in Southern Africa
Chapter 6 Back to the Future to Save Our Parks
Chapter 7 Sustainable Financing for Protected Areas in Sub-Saharan Africa and the Caribbean
Chapter 8 Preserving Institutional and Ecological Diversity in Argentina's Protected Area System
Part 9 Opportunities for Institutional Change
Chapter 10 Contracting Out at Parks Canada
Chapter 11 New Management Strategies for Kruger National Park
Chapter 12 A Trust Approach to the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monumnent
Chapter 13 Parks Are for PeopleBut Which People?