by Laura Huggins For those of us living in the West, it’s a no-brainer that water is more valuable than gold. But if it’s so valuable then why isn’t it trading in a similar fashion to gold? Short answer: a maze of institutional barriers. PERC and Hoover Institution fellow Gary Libecap gets to the heartContinue reading “Will the West’s “Water Woes” lead to more flows?”
Author Archives: admin
Hunting for Private Property Rights
by Reed Watson The November 2 election is shaping up to be an important gauge of our country’s political direction. And though most of the November 3 headlines will focus on the head count of Democrats and Republicans in Congress, the results of a ballot measure in North Dakota might prove a better litmus testContinue reading “Hunting for Private Property Rights”
Rent-A-Sheep for Weed Control
Want an environmentally friendly way to remove weeds and invasive species? Don Watson, a rancher in Loveland, Colorado, has discovered that his sheep are not just good for wool, but also for vegetation management. According to the California Farm Bureau Federation, Watson recently launched his “targeted grazing” service, Wooly Weeders, as a natural alternative toContinue reading “Rent-A-Sheep for Weed Control”
“Affect Heuristic” and Solar Power
by Shawn Regan Matt Ridley recently discussed the tendency for regulators to fall victim to the “affect heuristic,” or the propensity to “discount the drawbacks of things we are emotionally in favor of.” Case in point: the $2 billion Ivanpah Solar Electric Generating System being built on federal land in California’s Mojave Desert. Officials areContinue reading ““Affect Heuristic” and Solar Power”
Designing Payments for Ecosystem Services
Ecosystem services such as clean water from forests are free, but now their value is being recognized. Entrepreneurs are developing markets for these services and providing incentives for conservation.
Why Californians Don’t Need a Car Tax to Save Their Parks
by Laura Huggins The folks at Reason.tv have a great new video out about California’s Proposition 21, which would impose a car tax to fund its bankrupt state park system. The video features Leonard Gilroy, whose recent article in PERC Reports clears up much of the confusion surrounding efforts to contract out state park services.Continue reading “Why Californians Don’t Need a Car Tax to Save Their Parks”
New Edition of PERC Reports: Frontiers in Western Land Management
If you haven’t already, be sure to check out the latest edition of PERC Reports. You can read the magazine’s text at PERCReports.org in HTML or in it’s colorful entirety in PDF format. The new edition explores frontiers in land management and how innovative property rights arrangements can improve environmental quality and reduce land useContinue reading “New Edition of PERC Reports: Frontiers in Western Land Management”
Sharing
By Lexi Feinberg Once an icon of the American west, bison are now hazed through costly government-driven efforts and killed in droves around Yellowstone National Park during the winter. Their crime: migrating outside of the park’s borders onto public and private land in Montana, searching for food. Fueling the slaughters is ranchers’ fear of brucellosis,Continue reading “Sharing”
Should We Take State Parks Off the State’s Books?
by Laura Huggins I recently responded to an article in the LATimes. I proposed contracting out concessions and other park operations as part of the solution to the budgetary problems facing national parks. As expected, the comments centered on turning Yosemite into Disneyland. Why is it that people always think contracting out services in parks means hiringContinue reading “Should We Take State Parks Off the State’s Books?”
Market Solutions for National Parks
by Shawn Regan At LATimes.com, Laura Huggins responds to Ken Burns and Dayton Duncan’s recent op-ed on the path forward for America’s national parks. While Burns and Duncan offer little more than nostalgia, Huggins lays out real proposals that can boost revenues, attract more visitors, and be implemented almost immediately. Perhaps it’s time to revisitContinue reading “Market Solutions for National Parks”