A few years ago while visiting friends in Kenya, Terry Anderson discovered a self-grown example of free market environmentalism. Without knowing the intellectual roots of the movement, Maasai tribes had figured out a good way to increase income and at the same time revitalize their grasslands, attract wildlife back to the region, and in turn attract paying tourists.
Sammy, the Community Warden on the Olare Orok Conservancy opened Terry's eyes to the ways in which the local Masai communities were responding to economic incentives. Giving up their grazing lands for wild animals provided a better return than the traditional grazing of large herds of livestock.
Assisted by a local entrepreneur with tourism experience, Sammy spent many months negotiating and contracting with village elders. Today, the tented tourist camp is up and running and Sammy, who along with a good job, has gotten the Suzuki motorcyle he has been dreaming about and now uses to patrol the reserve.
Read Terry Anderson's whole story: Sammy's Suzuki
Founded 30 years ago in Bozeman, Montana, PERC—the Property and Environment Research Center—is the nation’s oldest and largest institute dedicated to improving environmental quality through property rights and markets.
PERC’s publications, each designed to resonate with specific groups, move ideas generated at PERC to broader audiences.
Research is at the heart of PERC's work, with a focus on the question: What is the link between economic growth and environmental quality?
The goal of PERC’s programs is to fully realize the vision of establishing “PERC University,” where scholars, students, policy makers, and others convene to expand the applications of free market environmentalism.
PERC's fellowships share a common goal of exposing new scholars, students, journalists, and policy makers to free market environmentalism, as well as enable scholars already familiar with FME to explore new applications.
PERC continues to publish and present a broad range of research and discussion through podcasts, videos, and other multimedia channels.