[…] its upkeep. It’s a model of how creative thinking, and a willingness to innovate within historical constraints, can generate new resources and improve long-term sustainability. Rapid-Response Creativity: Yellowstone Floods In 2022, historic late-spring flooding forced the closure of Yellowstone’s northern entrances. Faced with a summer of potentially unmanageable congestion and strain on park resources, […]
[…] something radical. It set aside two million acres of geothermal wonderland and sweeping mountain vistas nestled in the heart of what today is known as the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. The monumental achievement established a new precedent for conserving America’s natural heritage and laid the foundation for the National Park System. Yellowstone National Park became […]
Private efforts to save our heritage are also saving our ecosystems
This special issue of PERC Reports explores the next wave of solutions for our national parks. In May, the harlequin ducks arrive at LeHardy Rapids in Yellowstone National Park. Sleek, steely-blue birds with slashes and patches of white and a chestnut crown and flank, the males follow their mates to the clear mountain streams […]
[…] DeeAnn and Jim Durgan on their ranch in Paradise Valley. The Cost of Living in Paradise Paradise Valley, with its open plains, mountain views, and proximity to Yellowstone National Park, is one of the most stunning places to ranch. But sharing space with the wild comes at a cost. This land isn’t just home […]
[…] digging that hole deeper. International visitors can and should be part of the solution. They represent a meaningful share of park tourism—particularly at marquee destinations such as Yellowstone, Yosemite, and Glacier. Yet under the current fee structure, they pay the same standard $35 per vehicle entrance fee as U.S. residents—or even less. Visitors arriving […]
[…] park usage and mirrors successful international visitation models, such as those used in Chile, Ecuador, and South Africa. “If you can afford a flight from Beijing to Yellowstone, you can afford to pay to take care of the place you’re coming to see. Charging international visitors a little more to experience national parks, just […]
BOZEMAN, Mont.—A new report released today by PERC—”The Economics of Awe: How Entry Fees Can Sustain Yellowstone National Park,”—reveals that modest increases in entry fees to Yellowstone National Park could generate tens of millions of dollars annually to sustain and protect America’s first national park, without significantly reducing visitation. As Yellowstone continues to experience […]
Table of Contents DOWNLOAD THE REPORT Table of Contents DOWNLOAD THE REPORT Summary Yellowstone is more popular than ever, drawing over four million annual visitors. But the park’s aging infrastructure and strained services haven’t kept up. It now faces a $1.5 billion maintenance backlog, the largest in the National Park Service. To properly steward […]
[…] of grizzly bears in the Northern Rockies stands as one of America’s greatest conservation success stories. Thanks to decades of collaborative efforts, the populations in the Greater Yellowstone and Northern Continental Divide ecosystems have met—and in many cases exceeded—their recovery goals. Now it’s time for policy to catch up with progress. That’s why PERC, […]