Hannah Downey

Hannah Downey

Policy Director

Hannah Downey is the policy director at PERC, helping to bring PERC ideas to the policy world. Her writing has appeared in the Wall Street Journal, The Hill, The Salt Lake Tribune, and local papers. 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

Market Solutions to Environmental Problems

Hannah Downey

A podcast on the merits of free market environmentalism.

It’s (Finally) Time to Restore Our Parks

Hannah Downey

Fully solving the backlog issue will require tackling the current backlog as well as ensuring that today’s routine maintenance needs do not become tomorrow’s deferred maintenance.

Let’s Talk Endangered Species

Hannah Downey

It’s important that we maintain a backstop on extinction, but we also have to consider the incentives for recovery.

A Proactive Approach for Australia’s Fires

Hannah Downey

Proactively supporting and privately funding forest restoration projects that reduce risk and increase resiliency is a step we can take in the present to prevent fires in the future.

PERC Research Fellow Testifies on International Wildlife Conservation as an Expression of American Values

Hannah Downey

Catherine Semcer presents before the International Wildlife Conservation Council on how to promote markets, democracy, and human rights through international conservation programs.

Leave Park Operations—and Fee Revenues—to the Parks

Hannah Downey, Tate Watkins

Empowering local land managers to spend the revenues they have generated on their greatest needs can help provide the resources to care for our shared lands properly.

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