What legal doctrine safeguards public access to natural resources while ensuring their management by government entities?

The public trust doctrine is the legal principle that protects public access to natural resources, ensuring that these resources are managed in a way that serves the interests of the public. This doctrine holds that certain resources, such as waterways, coastlines, and other natural assets, are to be maintained for public use and enjoyment. It establishes a responsibility for government entities to safeguard these resources against private exploitation and environmental degradation.

Under this doctrine, states or government agencies are mandated to preserve and manage public resources sustainably, recognizing that these resources belong to the public collectively. This legal framework supports the idea that the government has an obligation to protect the environment for current and future generations, ensuring that every individual has access to these essential resources.

The other options, while important in their own rights, do not specifically encapsulate the concept of public access to natural resources coupled with governmental oversight. The Clean Water Act addresses water quality, the US Constitution provides a broad framework for rights and governance, and the National Environmental Policy Act focuses on environmental impact assessments. None of these concepts emphasize the critical relationship between public access to natural resources and the management responsibilities of government as robustly as the public trust doctrine does.