Common Property and Natural Resources in the Alps: The Decay of Management Structures Local-authority and collective forms of ownership still tend to dominate in the Alpine

Local-authority and collective forms of ownership still tend to dominate in the Alpine regions. This article concentrates on collective ownership or common property in the Alps and poses the question as to its importance with respect to the sustainable use of natural resources in the mountain regions. The concept of common property or collective ownership is explained in the first part of the article and the advantages and disadvantages of this ideal type of regulatory system, at least as presented in the literature, are explored briefly.