tragedy of the commons
the tendency of a shared, limited resource to become depleted because people act from self-interest for short-term gain
externality
a cost or benefit of a good or service that is not included in the purchase price of that good or service
maximum sustainable yield (MSY)
the maximum amount that can be harvested without compromising the future availability of that resource, in other words the maximum harvest that will adequately replaced by population growth (S-shaped curve)
resource conservation ethic
states that people should maximize resource use based on the greatest good for everyone
multiple-use lands
public lands that may be used for recreation, grazing, timber harvesting, and mineral extraction
rangelands
dry, open grasslands used primarily for cattle grazing, which is the most common use for land in the United States, semiarid ecosystems more suseptible to fires and other ecosystem disturbances, and if overused by humans can easily lose biodiversity
forests
dominated by trees and other woody vegetation, national forests originally established to ensure a steady and reliable source of timber
clear-cutting
harvesting that involves removing all, or almost all, the trees within an area...the easiest harvesting method and in most cases the most economical
selective cutting
harvesting that removes single trees or relativelt small numbers of trees from among many in a forest; this method creates many small openings in a stand where trees can reseed or young trees can be planted, so the regenerated stand contains trees of diff
ecologically sustainable forestry
harvesting approach that has the goal of maintaining all species---both plants and animals---in as close to a natural state as possible
tree plantations
large areas typically planted with a single rapidly growing tree species; these same-aged stands can be easily clear-cut for commercial purposes
prescribed burn
one method for reducing the accumulation of dead biomass in which a fire is deliberately set under controlled conditions, helps reduce the risk of uncontrolled natural fires
national wildlife refuges
the only federal public lands managed for the primary purpose of protecting wildlife
national wilderness areas
lands set aside with the intent of preserving large tracts of intact ecosystems or landscapes
National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)
created in 1969; mandantes an environmental assessment of all projects involving federal money or federal permits
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)
before a project, this is filed and it typically outlines the scope and purpose of the project, describes the environmental context, suggests alternative approaches to the project, and analyzes the environmental impact of each alternative
environmental mitigation plan
states how it will address the projects environmental impact
Endangered Species Act
a 1973 law designed to protect species from extinction
Suburban
areas that surround metropolitan centers and have low population densities compared with those in urban areas
exurban
areas that are similar to suburban areas, but are unconnected to any central city or densely populated area
urban sprawl
the creation of urbanized areas that spread into rural areas and remove clear boundaries between the two
urban blight
the degradation of the built and social environments of the city that often accompanies and accelerates migration to the suburbs
Highway Trust Fund
begun by the Highway Revenue Act of 1956 and is funded by a federal gasoline tax, pays for the construction and maintenance of roads and highways
induced demand
an increase of the supply of a good causes demand to grow
Zoning
planning tool developed in the 1920s to seperate industry and business from residential neighborhoods and create quieter and safer communties
multi-zoning
allows retail and high-density residential development to coexist in the same area
smart growth
focuses on strategies that encourage the development of sustainable, healthy communities
stakeholders
people with an interest in a particular place or issue
sense of place
the feeling that an area has a distinct and meaningful character
Transit Oriented Development (TOD)
attempts to focus dense residential and retail development around stops for public transportation, giving people convenient alternatives to driving
infill
development that fills in vacant lots within existing communities, rather than expanding into new land outside the city
urban growth boundaries
place restrictions on development outside a designated area
Eminent domain
allows a government to acquire property at fair market value even if the owner does not wish to sell it