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PERC Reports

The Magazine of Free Market Environmentalism

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Volume 34, No.1, Summer 2015

In 2016, the National Park Service will celebrate its 100-year anniversary. The agency is responsible for managing some of the most spectacular landscapes in the world.

But as the National Park Service prepares for its second century, the agency faces considerable challenges. National parks have a massive $11.5 billion maintenance backlog, causing leaky wastewater systems and deteriorating roads, trails, and bridges. Congress is unlikely to solve the problem. And with more than 400 park units—including several new monuments and historic parks—the agency is spread thin.

Creative solutions and responsible policies are needed. This issue of PERC Reports explores several ways to reduce the National Park Service's reliance on Congress, improve park maintenance and operations, and prepare our parks for the challenges of the twenty-first century.

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Stephen Mather’s Ghost

Alfred Runte

Revisiting the consensus for national parks.

Franchising Parks

Kurt Repanshek

Is outsourcing parks a key to solving the National Park Service's financial problems?

The Bear, The Bison, and The Business of Yellowstone

Brian Yablonski

Capturing the economic value of wildlife—for the benefit of wildlife.

Isle Royale’s Wolf Dilemma

Kurt Repanshek

The park's wolf woes spur bigger questions of managing wilderness.

Breaking the Backlog

Leonard Gilroy

Can public-private partnerships tackle the park maintenance backlog?

If you find yourself in a hole…

Reed Watson

...the first thing to do is stop digging.

Are National Parks More Popular Than Ever?

Shawn Regan

Park visitors can play an important role in funding our parks.

American Prairie Reserve

Wendy Purnell

Nonprofit group works to restore and conserve grasslands biodiversity.

Hitting a Brick Wall

Warren Meyer

Why the federal government is reluctant to outsource park operations.

How Free Market Environmentalism is Transforming Parks

Rocky Barker

Free market ideas can continue to make "America's best idea" even better.

Paso Pacifico’s Thin Green Line

Wendy Purnell

Turtle poachers become turtle protectors in Nicaragua.

National Parks Centennial Issue of PERC Reports

Shawn Regan

As the National Park Service turns 100, creative solutions and responsible policies are needed. This issue of PERC Reports is devoted to exploring some of those ideas.

Back to the Future of America’s National Parks

Terry Anderson

We should do more than celebrate the 100th anniversary of the National Park Service. We should ask serious questions about how to improve our national parks.

The Latest

Volume 41, No.2, Winter 2022

Volume 41, No.1, Summer 2022

Volume 40, No.2, Winter 2021

Volume 40, No.1, Summer 2021

Volume 39, No.2, Winter 2020

Volume 39, No.1, Summer 2020

Volume 38, No.2, Winter 2019

Volume 38, No.1, Summer 2019

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