All Research:
Public Lands and Outdoor Recreation
Open Access:
Those who know me will not be surprised by the topic of this column, given that hunting season is in full swing. Why I have such a passion for hunting was captured beautifully by Jon Christensen, a visiting PERC journalist fellow, who spent a chilly evening with me listening to five or six big bullContinue reading “Open Access:”
Let’s lift the burden
Scottsdale Tribune June 27, 2005 Paying modest fees would enablenational parks to cover costsof protection and upkeep By Holly L. FretwellSpecial to the Tribune Load up the car. Throw in the pillows, the DVD’s, the CD’s, and headphones. The season for cross-country travel is upon us. Carloads by the millions are heading for national parksContinue reading “Let’s lift the burden”
National Heritage Areas
Concerned about the creeping uniformity of modern suburban life, many people are seeking a renewed ?sense of place? in their communities. The popularity of historical societies and preservation projects is a sign of this trend. Some people have discovered that adding the words ?nationally significant? to their area or region can result in millionsContinue reading “National Heritage Areas”
Success Overdue at The Quincy Library
Enthusiasm surged recently in southwestern Washington when a community coalition announced that it had come up with a plan for logging Gifford Pinchot National Forest that was supported by environmentalists and industry officials alike. “We’ve identified the common ground . . . and hope the Forest Service will use this model,” said coalition memberContinue reading “Success Overdue at The Quincy Library”
Mining the Waste
By some estimates, mining waste has polluted the headwaters of 40 percent of the West’s watersheds. Forest Service Chief Dale Bosworth says that cleaning up as many as 38,000 abandoned mines on national forests is a high priority, but certainly not one that his agency can tackle on its own. Ironically, the Superfund law hasContinue reading “Mining the Waste”
Give governors, residents more say in land designation
Billings Gazette September 11, 2004 By Holly L. Fretwell BEAVERHEAD-DEERLODGE NATIONAL FOREST – As I sit on a knoll on South Willow Creek, the family still snug in the tent, I have a rare moment to reflect on this beautiful spot. Surely this is wilderness. The creek water runs wild and swift, swollen from lastContinue reading “Give governors, residents more say in land designation”
Why our politicized parks suffer
Detroit NewsJuly 18, 2004 By Thomas Bray It’s summertime, and while the political elites are tuning up their fog machines in anticipation of the major party conventions, most Americans are trying to get away from it all. For millions, that means a trip to a national park for a glimpse of the fabled American wilderness.Continue reading “Why our politicized parks suffer”
Decamping Politics From Public Lands
Tacoma News TribuneJuly 4, 2004 By J. Bishop Grewell When a Western Republican senator and the head of the Sierra Club share sound bites, alarms should ring. Currently, just such a duo is undermining one of the most successful initiatives we have seen on our public lands. The two men oppose the congressionally initiated FeeContinue reading “Decamping Politics From Public Lands”
Recreation Fees: Four Philosophical Questions
Beginning in 1996, the federal government started raising (and in some cases newly instituting) recreation fees on public lands and using them at the sites where they were collected. This Fee Demonstration Program, which is scheduled to end in 2004, has sparked a debate over ethical and practical issues.