Federally managed public lands were originally intended to provide and protect public goods and services while constraining commercial activities.
Ross W. Gorte, PhD, is a retired natural resource economist and policy specialist with the Congressional Research Service of the Library of Congress, providing confidential, nonpartisan, and objective information and analyses for the Members and Committees of Congress. Dr. Gorte is the author or co-author of more than 300 CRS Reports for Congress and other documents on public lands and forestry, wood products trade, wilderness and other congressional land designation, wildfire protection, and more. He received his B.S. in Forest Management in 1975 and M.B.A. in 1976, both from Northern Arizona University, and his Ph.D. in natural resource economics in 1981 from Michigan State University. He is currently residing in Arvada, Colorado.