Managing the Commons: How Extension Facilitates Local Participation to Manage Natural Resources

Abstract Extension promotes volunteerism and facilitates community involvement in the informed decision‐making process required for managing natural resources; Extension also enhances local social capital. This important role does not receive as much attention in the literature on Extension and its scope as does its traditional role of information provision. We conducted a study to examine the need and demand for Extension programs in a rural community comprised entirely of islands and tangibly dependent on natural resources. We found that affiliation with Extension has a strong impact on the willingness to pay for Extension programs. Thus, we provide evidence that supports the argument that Extension is an important service and an appropriate use of public funds for economic development. This finding is in line with Elinor Ostrom’s theory in new institutional economics that well‐designed, robust local entities that stimulate local participation can assist in managing natural resources.