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How We Pay to Play: Funding Outdoor Recreation on Public Lands in the 21st Century

[…] Service generated approximately $126 million from concessions fees. Private donations are another source of funds that can help accomplish beneficial recreation projects on public lands. The nonprofit Yellowstone Forever, for example, granted $5.9 million to Yellowstone National Park in 2018 for more than 50 projects, including fish restoration efforts, trailhead displays, and black bear […]

Published on: May 28, 2019

This Endangered Species Day, We Should Celebrate Species’ Recovery

[…] of positivity, not gloom, to recognize the progress that’s been made and encourage further progress. This year, the poster species for this message could be the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem grizzly. From a mere 135 bears in the 1970s, the population has grown to more than 700 today—likely the ecosystem’s carrying capacity—thanks to the coordinated efforts of federal […]

Published on: May 17, 2019

Grizzly Bear Recovery and Management

[…] the U.S. House Natural Resources Committee – Waters, Oceans, and Wildlife Subcommittee’s hearing on H.R. 2532, the Tribal Heritage and Grizzly Bear Protection Act.  Summary The Greater Yellowstone ecosystem grizzly’s recovery is due to the collaboration of federal biologists, states, tribes, conservation groups, and landowners. Congress should encourage these efforts to continue while preserving […]

Published on: May 15, 2019

PERC Research Fellow Offers Solutions on the Future of Grizzly Bears

[…] – Water, Oceans, and Wildlife Subcommittee to oppose the bill and highlight the role of state management and incentives for conservation in protecting the grizzly bear. “The Yellowstone grizzly’s recovery, which the president of the National Wildlife Federation described as ‘a true American conservation success story,’ is a story of successful collaboration between federal […]

Published on: May 15, 2019

This Earth Day, Try Conservation Optimism

EMIGRANT, Mont.— It is another Earth Day, and as I write this I am looking out across the vast Yellowstone River Valley at mountains so brilliantly beautiful you’d swear God deserves a raise. At night, it can be hard to decipher the major constellations through the veil of a billion other stars. Life here […]

Published on: April 22, 2019

During National Park Week, Remember that Our Parks Need Our Help

Visitors hiking in Yellowstone National Park. This article was originally published in The Hill.  Saturday marks the start of National Park Week, the perfect opportunity to celebrate America’s most magnificent places. From snowy mountain peaks in Denali to desert slot canyons in Zion to the monuments along the National Mall, our parks represent the vast […]

Published on: April 20, 2019

Where the Buffalo Roam

[…] when it’s all said and done, would encompass 3.5 million acres of private and public lands along the Missouri River in northeastern Montana, an area larger than Yellowstone and Grand Teton national parks combined. The group seeks to remove the livestock that roam much of the landscape today and replace them with bison, elk, […]

Published on: February 11, 2019

Get Politics Out of Our Parks

Yellowstone National Park This article originally appeared in Outside Magazine. As both political parties trade shots amid the government shutdown, America’s national parks are caught in the crossfire. Under a new policy adopted by the Trump administration, parks have been allowed to remain open with limited staffing during the lapse in appropriations, while some Democratic […]

Published on: January 22, 2019

Stop Playing Shutdown Politics with Our Parks

[…] was the case during the 2013 government shutdown presided over by President Obama. That means many important visitor activities and park operations — from snow-coach rides in Yellowstone run by private concessionaires to guided battlefield tours of Gettysburg — can continue yielding economic benefits for the surrounding communities. This week, the National Park Service […]

Published on: January 11, 2019