Ideas, Speakers & Lectures

Wilderness Workshop

Wilderness Workshop’s mission is to protect the wilderness, water, and wildlife of western Colorado’s public lands. The organization works across more than four million acres of public lands to ensure their ecological integrity. They have led efforts to designate more than half a million acres of Wilderness and hundreds of thousands of roadless areas in western Colorado. Their efforts focus on protecting public lands from threats such as industrial development, climate change, and short-term exploitation, but perhaps more important is what they protect public lands for – intact and thriving ecosystems, a livable planet for current and future generations, and the moment of awe that can only be experienced in a wild place. Learn more at wildernessworkshop.org.

Naturalist Nights: The Economics of Public Lands and Protected Areas

Aspen Public Radio

Published March 8, 2024 at 11:44 AM MST

This event was recorded on March 7, 2024 at Hallam Lake Nature Center, as part of the 2024 Winter Naturalist Nights Series, in partnership with Aspen Public Radio.

About the Presentation

Public lands have historically operated under multiple-use mandates ranging from mining to grazing to recreation to conservation. The multiple uses of public lands have various economic ramifications and distributional effects for adjacent communities and for the public. In this presentation, Evan Hjerpe explains how economic activities on public lands affect regional economies, summarizes recent research conducted on the economic influence of protected areas, and illustrates economic transitions occurring in and near public lands.

About the Speaker

Evan Hjerpe is the founder and Director of the Conservation Economics Institute (CEI), a non-profit research organization. He holds a Ph.D. in forest economics and management from Northern Arizona University, where he also was a visiting assistant professor. His expertise includes conservation benefits, regional economics, public lands policy, and recreation economics. Evan has consulted for private businesses, non-profit organizations, federal agencies, and universities and has authored numerous journal articles and technical reports.