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Public Lands

  • Wildfire risk and development challenges limit public lands available for housing

    Wildfire risk and development challenges limit public lands available for housing

    Megan Lawson, Ph.D.

    Federal public lands may offer opportunities to improve housing affordability in a limited number of states, but will face significant barriers like from wildfire risk, water availability, and conflicts with existing resource or recreation uses. Read more

  • 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

  • Measuring trail use in Montana’s Bridger mountains

    Measuring trail use in Montana’s Bridger mountains

    Megan Lawson, Ph.D.

    Detailed estimates of summer trail use help show the impacts of growing recreational use and highlight infrastructure needs in southwest Montana. Read more

  • Diversifying revenue on New Mexico state trust lands

    Diversifying revenue on New Mexico state trust lands

    Mark Haggerty

    New activities can help guarantee and diversify future revenue from New Mexico state trust lands, complementing the successful Land Grant Permanent Fund. Read more

  • Federal Fossil Fuel Disbursements to States

    Federal Fossil Fuel Disbursements to States

    Kris Smith, Ph.D.

    States tend to spend, rather than save, federal fossil fuel disbursements, potentially making them vulnerable to economic transitions. Read more

  • National monuments can boost local economies

    National monuments can boost local economies

    Megan Lawson, Ph.D.

    Recent studies find that national monument designations do not negatively impact local economic performance, and in many cases strengthen local economies. Read more

  • Building a Federal Land Endowment

    Building a Federal Land Endowment

    Mark Haggerty

    The bipartisan Forest Health for Rural Stability Act would establish a federal land endowment and resolve key challenges of federal land payments to counties. Read more

  • Tension as Catalyst: Public Lands and the Rural West

    Tension as Catalyst: Public Lands and the Rural West

    Mark Haggerty

    View a presentation given at the Our America’s Rural Opportunity forum about the context of public lands and the rural west. Read more

  • PILT Proposal Would Help Small-Population Counties

    PILT Proposal Would Help Small-Population Counties

    Mark Haggerty

    Analysis shows raising Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) population limits for small-population counties would have increased total payments by $2 million in 2019. Read more

  • State Trust Lands Part 1: The Trust Model

    State Trust Lands Part 1: The Trust Model

    Mark Haggerty

    States were granted trust lands by the U.S. Congress to generate revenue to fund public institutions, primarily public schools. Read more

  • State Trust Lands Part 2: Permanent Funds

    State Trust Lands Part 2: Permanent Funds

    Mark Haggerty

    Overspending of state trust permanent funds reduces future school funding and incentivizes sales of trust land and nonrenewable resources. Read more

  • State Trust Lands Part 3: New Demands

    State Trust Lands Part 3: New Demands

    Mark Haggerty

    Changing economies, new land uses, shifting social values, and political pressure create challenges for state trust land managers. Read more

  • State Trust Lands Part 4: Implications for Federal Land Transfer

    State Trust Lands Part 4: Implications for Federal Land Transfer

    Mark Haggerty

    Advocates of transferring federal land to states point to the superior ability of state trust lands to generate revenue, but our analysis finds significant economic and fiscal disadvantages. Read more

  • Public land ownership in the United States

    Public land ownership in the United States

    Megan Lawson, Ph.D.

    Public lands influence the economy, demographics, and fiscal policies of communities. Explore maps and county-level data for the 828 million acres of federal, state, and municipal land in the U.S. Read more

  • People and Public Lands Essays

    People and Public Lands Essays

    Ray Rasker, Ph.D.

    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? Read more

  • The Overlooked Importance of Federal Public Land Fiscal Policy

    The Overlooked Importance of Federal Public Land Fiscal Policy

    Rob Godby

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

  • Getting into the Dirt of Public Lands Policy

    Getting into the Dirt of Public Lands Policy

    Paul Jakus

    Comprehensive benefit cost analyses of public lands policies are needed. Read more

  • Democracy, Collective Values, and Public Land

    Democracy, Collective Values, and Public Land

    Steven Davis

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

  • Rockies Region Natural Resources: The Foundation for Economy and Quality of Life – Then, Now, Tomorrow

    Rockies Region Natural Resources: The Foundation for Economy and Quality of Life – Then, Now, Tomorrow

    Walter Hecox

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

  • Non-Labor Income in the Rural West

    Non-Labor Income in the Rural West

    Megan Lawson, Ph.D.

    Non-labor income can have an outsized effect on communities in the rural West with a large share of public lands. Read more

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