Dear PERC community,
We sure are in uncharted territory. Our entire nation has been impacted by this global pandemic. Whether it be our health, economic security, or simple daily routine, Covid-19 has reached all of us. At PERC, we’ve taken the necessary precautions and closed the office. The PERC team remains hard at work continuing our conservation efforts remotely. Through research, relationship building, and communications, we’re all still working hard to achieve conservation outcomes in 2020.
In the first three months of the year, we’ve already seen some big successes. We published a new report by research fellow Jonathan Wood on how to overcome regulatory disincentives to clean up abandoned mines. We’re seeing a bipartisan effort in Congress to move forward with important legislation that will make meaningful progress toward improving the funding and maintenance of our national parks—legislation that PERC has advocated for in testimony before Congress and has conducted extensive research on. We’ve adjusted to the times and moved our conferences online so that we can continue our collaborative efforts to conduct research. We hosted a virtual workshop, Fix America’s Forests, discussing innovative, market-based approaches to forest restoration and maintenance.
We’re living with much uncertainty these days, but, as a team, we’re taking this time to dive deep into research, look ahead to the future, and think creatively about how best to make a difference. Thankfully, with your support, we’re in a good position to continue our work in spite of the uncertainty ahead.
Finally, it is times like these that people find solace in nature, a refuge from the craziness around us. We find comfort in the hushed sound of the wind moving through the forest, the sight of migrating waterfowl overhead, or the smell of deer or elk bedded nearby. The rhythm of nature continues as it should. It is a reminder of just how important our conservation efforts are—not just PERC’s, but all conservation organizations’—to ensuring we have open spaces and wild animals to turn to when times are tough. We know that while some of us are fortunate to live in wide open country where we can still safely get a little time outdoors, others of us are in locked-down regions and can’t freely enjoy the outdoors. That’s why we are launching the #ThinkOutsideWithPERC campaign on Instagram. It’s for folks who need an outlet and want to relive and share a favorite moment in the outdoors. It’s also for people who are still getting outdoors in a socially safe manner. Join us in celebrating our time in nature and the hopefulness that we can get back to these special places soon.
We thank you for your commitment to us and the important work we do. PERC will continue working to improve conservation and advance free market environmentalism.
Take care, and stay healthy.
Sincerely,
Brian Yablonski
