School of Earth and EnvironmentSUSTAINABILITY RESEARCH INSTITUTE

Property rights in UK uplands: the implications for management and policy

Dr Claire Quinn

Research Fellow

School of Earth and EnvironmentFACULTY OF ENVIRONMENT

Changing and competing demands

• Biodiversity, amenity, water, carbon, sheep, grouse

• Some are public goods

• Some are common pool resources

• Need management regimes that deal with multiple uses and users

• Who does/should have rights in these management regimes?

School of Earth and EnvironmentFACULTY OF ENVIRONMENT

What are property rights?

• Recognised authority to undertake particular actions in specific domains

Property rights regimes

• Private property – all rights held by individuals

• State property – held in trust for the public

• Common property – shared rights

School of Earth and EnvironmentFACULTY OF ENVIRONMENT

Research conducted in 3 upland locations

School of Earth and EnvironmentFACULTY OF ENVIRONMENT

Owner Proprietor Claimant Authorized User Authorized Entrant

Access X X X X X

Withdrawal X X X X

Management X X X

Exclusion X X

Alienation X

Schlager & Ostrom 1992

School of Earth and EnvironmentFACULTY OF ENVIRONMENT

Water companies

Forestry (private)

Agriculture (owned) Grouse

moor owners

Forestry (state) Agriculture

(tenants)

Water companies (Elsewhere)

Recreation/ Tourism

Access X X X X

Withdrawal X X X

Management X X

Exclusion X X

Alienation X

School of Earth and EnvironmentFACULTY OF ENVIRONMENT

Water companies

Forestry (private)

Agriculture (owned) Grouse

moor owners

Forestry (state) Agriculture

(tenants)

Water companies (Elsewhere)

Recreation/ Tourism

Access CROW Act 2000Land Reform (Scotland) Act

2003

Withdrawal Environmental designations (SSSI and SPA)

Management SSSI and SPA designationMoorland Management plans

Water Framework Directive and water resources legislation

Exclusion Access decisions curtailed by the CROW Act and Land Reform Act

Alienation

School of Earth and EnvironmentFACULTY OF ENVIRONMENT

Mixed property rights regime

• Private property – grouse

• Private-state property – biodiversity

• Common property – water catchments

What about other services e.g. Carbon?

School of Earth and EnvironmentFACULTY OF ENVIRONMENT

Implications for policy and management

• Unclear how successful mixed regimes are

• Recommendations

• Appropriate regime for private, common pool and public goods

• Appropriate links between regimes

• Management needs to be flexible to adapt to new demands