Ray Rasker, Ph.D.

Montana’s outdoors attracts people and talent, creating jobs and a high quality of life. The outdoors is essential to the state’s future economic growth.

Wildfire hazard assessment maps can help communities build safer neighborhoods, prioritize mitigation resources, and adapt to wildfire.

What is the economic impact of America’s public lands and waters? How can we quantify how these remarkable resources contribute to our quality of life? And how are our valuation methods and public policies changing?

Fiscal policy reforms could substantially increase the economic benefits of public lands for states and local communities.

Comprehensive benefit cost analyses of public lands policies are needed.

A spiritual and cultural treasure and a multi-trillion-dollar asset, public land must be protected.

Natural resources are still the foundation of the Rockies region economy even as it has shifted from extraction-based activities to recreation and tourism.

To assess the value of public lands, we must analyze the full array of what matters to people and consider the activities they pursue.

Counties with public lands today tend to have larger, more diverse, and slightly older populations.

Nonmarket valuation tools have evolved over time and are now relied upon for important policy decisions and litigation.