The changing economics of public lands in the USA

Abstract

For over a century, economic ideas have shaped US public land management. This culminated with ‘maximum sustainable yield’ (MSY) becoming a central decision-making framework. However, the passage of major environmental legislation—echoing an American preservationist tradition—spurred the US Forest Service and other public agencies to reconsider this narrow utilitarian approach, setting the stage for the adoption of a social-ecological systems framework emphasizing ecosystem services and resilience—benefits that are largely public goods—aimed at achieving sustainability. However, a reorientation of US management priorities now may be afoot, with renewed emphasis on extractive uses of public lands.

Citation

Tilman, Andrew R.; Wu, Tong. 2026. The changing economics of public lands in the USA. Nature Sustainability. 7 p. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41893-026-01915-7.