[…] southern England, a move consistent with scientific predictions that current wine producing areas will decline by 25 to 73% by 2050. This prediction prompted the headline, “Wine from Wyoming? How Yellowstone and Yukon will steal Napa’s crown.” John Dickerson, founder of Summit Water Development Group, is purchasing and brokering water rights in the American West and Australia in response […]
[…] protect wildlife habitat. Others have purchased base properties and acquired the federal grazing permits attached to them, spending their own money raised from member donations. Outside of Yellowstone, environmentalists have bargained with ranchers to retire federal grazing permits, compensated ranchers for losses due to wildlife, and negotiated contracts that allow bison to migrate through […]
[…] uncompensated, incidental disservices “externalities,” and look toward political solutions to fix the problems. Consider the seemingly endless conflict over winter management of bison when they migrate from Yellowstone National Park. Bison, whose numbers have increased dramatically in the past 15 years, leave the park’s deep snow in search of forage, but bison can carry […]
[…] the Sochi Olympics. Free-market environmentalism offers a better approach. Since 2002 the National Wildlife Federation has secured more than half a million acres of federal grazing land outside Yellowstone National Park to provide habitat for bison, grizzly bears and wolves. The group negotiates voluntary buyouts with ranchers and pays for the federal grazing permits with […]
[…] document in a nearby Wilderness Study Area, for example, reduced mountain bike trail access from more than 100 miles to 20. Motorbikes also lost considerable trail access. Yellowstone National Park now restricts snowmobile use almost exclusively to guided tours. Other trails in our area have eliminated horses. In addition, the federal lands designated as multiple use […]
[…] able to save species. Think about the difference you could make! Related Content: : Laura Huggins’ book Environmental Entrepreneurship : Hank Fischer on saving the wolves in Yellowstone Park : Michael Lenox and Jeffrey York break down the economic incentives and personal motivations for environmental entrepreneurship : Hank Fischer’s book Wolf Wars : Preserving […]
[…] campgrounds are already managed by private companies, and campers generally aren’t able to tell a difference. A different structure for our treasured public lands could have kept Yellowstone open during the shutdown. Due to the recent government shutdown, federal agents forced privately owned and managed parks to be shut down. However, these private parks […]
[…] and facility upgrades, among other critical infrastructure projects. To name just a few examples, at least $15 million is needed to replace water and wastewater facilities at Yellowstone National Park, and more than $16 million is need to ensure safe drinking water is available at Grand Canyon National Park. Such unfunded maintenance needs adversely […]
While politicians continue the budget cut stalemate, entrepreneurs are quick to provide goods and services to the public. Covered with a winter’s snow, the roads in Yellowstone National Park are typically plowed beginning in March. This year, the federal budget sequestration has cut park funding and postponed road clearing. Local communities, however, depend on […]
“People in this world today crave something real, and our society is lacking that and they could come to Yellowstone and see real nature unfolding in front of their eyes with this very unique personality of a wolf and they loved her. They thought it was great,” said biologist Douglas Smith in December on […]