The Road to Recovery
Jonathan WoodHow restoring the Endangered Species Act’s two-step process can prevent extinction and promote recovery.
Deferred Maintenance and Operational Needs of the National Park Service
Shawn ReganRead PERC's testimony before the U.S. Senate Committee on Energy & Natural Resources.
State-Owned Lands in the Eastern United States: Lessons from State Land Management in Practice
Robert NelsonEastern states demonstrate innovative state land policies that provide lessons for federal land management.
An Opportunity for Arbitrage
Jonathan WoodCan property owners and environmental groups contract to agree?
Markets for Conservation
Jonathan WoodBy assigning a price to environmental values, we can help protect land from eminent domain.
Reining in the BLM’s Wild Horse Crisis
Matt Anderson, Hannah DowneyWild horse and burro management is a nuanced and emotional issue that requires more than a one-size-fits-all solution.
The Monkey Selfie Case
Jonathan WoodAn example of how litigation-driven environmentalism falls short when resolving conservation conflicts.
Markets Improve Environmental Outcomes Without Needing Most People to Notice or Care
Jonathan WoodHuman prosperity is the engine of environmental improvement.
About PERC
Founded in 1980 in Bozeman, Montana, PERC—the Property and Environment Research Center—is the home of free market environmentalism. Our research is dedicated to harnessing the power of markets and property rights to improve environmental quality.
Research Areas
Public Lands
We Will Better Protect National Parks for Just Pennies More Per Visit
For the price of an ice cream cone at Yellowstone’s Canyon Lodge we will collectively be investing millions in the future of our beloved public lands.
Wildfire Budget ‘Fix’ Won’t Solve Fire Problem
The "fix" will free up funds to spend on forest restoration projects but will do little to reverse the recent increase in wildfire expenditures.
National Parks Are Underfunded — Overhauling Fees Will Help
Our national treasures are too important to hang on the whims of political funding decisions.
Fisheries
Conserving Taimen in Mongolia
In Mongolia, Taimen, a fish in the salmon and trout family, are being protected by catch-and-release fishing.
Save Fish, Establish Property Rights
Where property rights have been made clear, secure, and transferable, overfishing has been reduced.
Mobilizing Markets to Reduce Bycatch in Marine Fisheries
Economists Steve Miller and Robert Deacon examine the management of bycatch in the U.S. West Coast groundfish fishery.
Wildlife
Prevention and Recovery
Yes, the Endangered Species Act prevents extinction. But why don't we recover more species?
Recovering the Utah Prairie Dog
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service chooses cooperation over conflict.
The Elephant Trophy Ban That Wasn’t
After dizzying flip-flops, will the US continue to support hunting-based conservation programs?
Tribes
Give Tribes Real Authority in Bears Ears National Monument
It’s time for Congress to act to provide meaningful co-management of Bears Ears to Native Americans.
Give Bears Ears To Native Americans
If tribes are going to get more say in protecting sacred sites, like Bears Ears, they will have to have a greater role than consultation.
A New Landscape: 8 Ideas for the Interior Department
Eight policy ideas to deliver environmental and economic improvements for the nation's lands, waters, and other natural resources.
Water
Environmental Markets Work Better than Indecipherable Regulations
Free market environmentalism avoids excessive reliance on criminal enforcement and can address environmental issues before they arise.
Smartphones Are Unleashing the Promise of World Water Day
Innovative technologies are increasing access to clean water and reducing waste.
Water Markets as a Response to Climate Change
Several changes to state regulation of surface water could help make its use more efficient and help states adapt better to climate change.
Private Lands
Markets and the Environment: Friends or Foes?
The environmental movement will have to rely more on market solutions if we wish to conserve our precious natural resources.
Tax Incentives and the Price of Conservation
The role of tax incentives in promoting a fast-growing and novel type of conservation: voluntary, permanent restrictions on private land use through conservation easements.
Enviropreneurs at Work: Jamie Workman
James Workman, co-founder of AquaShares, tells the story of water marketing and the resulting conservation benefits.
Publications
Volume 36, No.2, Winter 2017
Volume 36, No.1, Summer 2017
A New Landscape: 8 Ideas for the Interior Department
Mobilizing Markets to Reduce Bycatch in Marine Fisheries
Volume 35, No.2, Winter 2016
Clearing the Smoke from Wildfire Policy: An Economic Perspective
Environmental Policy in the Anthropocene
Managing Conflicts over Western Rangelands
Unlocking the Wealth of Indian Nations
Ecosystem Services: What are the Public Policy Implications?
