Hannah Downey

Policy and Partnerships Coordinator, Staff

Hannah Downey is the policy and partnerships coordinator at PERC, helping to bring PERC ideas to the policy world. After being introduced to PERC her freshman year of college, she pursued the ideas of free market environmentalism and became a research assistant as a senior. She graduated from Montana State University with degrees in economics and political science in 2015.

Though she grew up in the Midwest, Hannah was lucky enough to spend her summers in Montana. Throughout college she worked as a backpacking guide in the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness. Hannah now calls Bozeman home and fills her spare moments with skiing, mountain biking, and enjoying the wonderful outdoors.

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Articles by Hannah Downey

Pay to Play

Holly Fretwell, Hannah Downey, Whitney Tilt

A look at the nature of public land recreation and how markets can enhance opportunities to protect open space.

Easements for Endangered Species

Hannah Downey

A collaborative approach to the lesser prairie chicken shows how a wide variety of groups can come together to protect at-risk species.

Hunting Can Be Good for Lions and Elephants

Terry Anderson, Hannah Downey

Though it is perhaps an uncomfortable reality, trophy hunting can promote wildlife conservation.

When Does Hunting Earn a Trophy?

Hannah Downey

Responsible hunting can help ensure exotic species are protected from poaching and corruption.

The Role of Working Lands in Providing Public Conservation Benefits

Hannah Downey

Too often, government policies that aim to conserve environmental resources counterproductively discourage conservation on working lands. It is essential that landowners maintain authority over their working lands so that conservation efforts can prosper.

Where There’s Smoke, There’s Policy Changes Needed

Hannah Downey, Holly Fretwell

The question of how to manage wildfires is a hot one as fire can be both constructive and destructive.

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