Conference Agenda

This article examines the management of spatially distributed renewable resources—specifically wildlife and infectious diseases—through the lens of economic and spatial analysis. I focus on "bads" like invasive species and diseases, which cause economic and ecological harm, and utilize population control and fencing as central mechanisms. I analyze how fencing influences resource flow and connectivity. On the one hand, in the presence of ecological and economic heterogeneities, fencing can be used to leverage spatial artbitrage opportunities. On the other hand, while promoted as a tool to incentivize the internalization of costs associated with ``bads", they may undo what Nature has rightfully done. In this sense, while fencing may be welfare improving in a setting with initially poor connectivity, an uncoordinated use of fencing, although welfare improving, is not welfare maximizing. The study develops a theoretical model that integrates aspects of stock and patch connectivity management and explores both cooperative and non-cooperative management strategies. The findings indicate that optimal management often requires a nuanced understanding of the spatial dynamics and economic costs associated with different control strategies. We present a series of propositions that characterize the conditions under which fencing and resource control strategies can be optimized, including the interaction effects of exclusionary and trap effects. This article contributes to the literature by highlighting the role of spatial heterogeneity in the management of renewable resources and providing insights into the formulation of more effective environmental policies, as it analyzes how to design policies on a subset of the landscape, to maximize economic and ecological benefits