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Research

  • Economic Impact of National Parks

    Economic Impact of National Parks

    Megan Lawson, Ph.D.

    Millions of national park visitors generate economic opportunities for gateway communities, spending money that creates jobs and income. See the trends for every national park service unit. Read more

  • Building for Wildfire Summit: Understanding How Homes Burn

    Building for Wildfire Summit: Understanding How Homes Burn

    Kimiko Barrett, Ph.D.

    Video and highlights from an event that brought together diverse community leaders to explore practices for building fire-adapted communities. Read more

  • Denver Transit Equity Analysis

    Denver Transit Equity Analysis

    Patricia Hernandez

    Identify where potential bus rapid transit corridors in the Denver, Colorado Metro Area are most likely to enhance mobility and equity. Read more

  • San Luis Valley Wildfire Risk

    San Luis Valley Wildfire Risk

    Kelly Pohl

    Explore interactive maps of watersheds, wildfire, and the wildland-urban interface in Colorado’s San Luis Valley. Read more

  • Comparing Trends and Prosperity in Gunnison County

    Comparing Trends and Prosperity in Gunnison County

    Patricia Hernandez

    Explore socioeconomic trends in Gunnison County and neighboring Colorado counties. Read more

  • Colorado Lags Other States in Taxing Oil, Incentives Increase Volatility

    Colorado Lags Other States in Taxing Oil, Incentives Increase Volatility

    Mark Haggerty

    This report compares how Colorado provides local governments with production tax revenue from unconventional fossil fuel extraction compared to other major energy-producing states. Read more

  • West Is Best: Protected Lands Promote Colorado Jobs and Higher Incomes

    West Is Best: Protected Lands Promote Colorado Jobs and Higher Incomes

    Ray Rasker, Ph.D.

    Colorado’s rate of population, employment, and real personal income growth has outpaced the nation and this fact sheet looks at the role of protected public lands in supporting jobs and higher incomes. Read more

  • Report: Colorado’s Oil and Natural Gas Industry

    Report: Colorado’s Oil and Natural Gas Industry

    Mark Haggerty

    This graphical analysis reviews the status of Colorado’s oil and gas industry including production, drilling activity, tax policy, its role in Colorado’s economy. Read more

  • Unconventional Oil and North Dakota Communities: State Fiscal Policy Unprepared for Impacts of Energy Development

    Unconventional Oil and North Dakota Communities: State Fiscal Policy Unprepared for Impacts of Energy Development

    Mark Haggerty

    This report analyzes the growing infrastructure and services needs of the Bakken boom and meeting the demands of unconventional energy development. Read more

  • Colorado’s Economy and the Role of Federal Protected Lands

    Colorado’s Economy and the Role of Federal Protected Lands

    Ray Rasker, Ph.D.

    This report summarizes Colorado’s economy and the role of federal protected lands, including how the state has performed, and Colorado’s ability to attract people, investment, and businesses. Read more

  • County Level Drilling Activity, 2001-2011

    County Level Drilling Activity, 2001-2011

    Julia Haggerty

    This report focuses on county-level details of drilling rig activity for the period 2001 to 2011 in the six Rocky Mountain oil and gas states of Colorado, Montana, New Mexico, North Dakota, Utah, and Wyoming. Read more

  • Fossil Fuel Extraction and Western Economies

    Fossil Fuel Extraction and Western Economies

    Mark Haggerty

    This study analyzes the fossil fuel economy in five Rocky Mountain states—CO, MT, NM, UT, and WY—and how states and communities can maximize benefits and minimize the costs of energy development. Read more

  • Clean Energy Leadership in the Rockies: Competitive Positioning in the Emerging Green Economy

    Clean Energy Leadership in the Rockies: Competitive Positioning in the Emerging Green Economy

    Julia Haggerty

    The Clean Energy report compares how Colorado, Montana, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming are taking advantage of clean energy and energy efficiency opportunities to create green jobs. Read more

  • Development Timeline: Oil Shale Activities in Colorado and Utah

    Development Timeline: Oil Shale Activities in Colorado and Utah

    Julia Haggerty

    While a handful of companies reported being active in the field-testing of new technologies in 2009, only one company had announced plans to upscale to a prototype (semi-works scale) facility. Read more

  • Impacts of Energy Development in Colorado, with a Case Study of Mesa and Garfield Counties

    Ben Alexander

    This report explores the significance of fossil fuel energy development for Colorado with a case study of the implications for the West Slope economy. Read more

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