Mt. Hood

The Thoreau Institute

Public Land Research and Analyses



Reports

The Second Century Report

A new proposal for reforming the Forest Service prepared by the Forest Options Group, a consensus group facilitated by the Thoreau Institute. This draft report includes a form for you to submit comments by email.

Inside the Bureau of Land Management

The BLM manages more land than any other entity in the U.S., yet few people are familiar with its overall programs. Different Drummer reviews the agency's minerals, timber, grazing, and recreation programs, and analyzes the budgets for each of the 60 BLM districts.

An Environmental Agenda for 105th Congress

Articles by ten different writers on what a Republican Congress--or any Congress in fiscally tight times--should do to protect the environment.

Reinventing the Forest Service

An issue of Different Drummer on the national forests.

Tarnished Jewels: The Case for Reforming the Park Service

An issue of Different Drummer on the national parks.

State Lands and Resources

An issue of Different Drummer reviewing nearly 150 state park, wildlife, and forest agencies.

Congress and the Federal Lands

An issue of Different Drummer with articles by over a dozen writers on who should manage national forests, parks, and other federal lands.

Run Them Like Businesses: Reforming Federal Resource Agencies

A research paper showing how national forests, parks, and BLM lands would be better off if agency managers had an incentive to earn profits instead of losses.

Audit of the U.S.D.A. Animal Damage Control Program

A research paper showing why the federal government should get out of the business of killing coyotes and other so-called pests.

Articles and Speeches

Better Incentives for Public Lands

How lands are managed is more important than who owns them.

Reforming Public Land Management with New Incentives

A speech given at Colorado University shows why it is more important to reform incentives than to replace top officials or transfer land ownership.

Recreation Fees: The American Experience

A speech given at a conference in Montreal shows how recreation fees can play an important role in reforming public land management.

Op-Eds

Should Congress Give the Federal Lands to the States?

A summary of a lengthy report of the same name that Randal O'Toole prepared for the Cato Institute.

Solve Park Controversies with User Fees

How user fees can help restore the parks.

Fixing the Recreation Fee Program

Reveals a significant flaw in the recreation fee demonstration program.

Data

1997 National Forest Timber Sale Receipts and Costs

A comparison of receipts and costs on every national forest.

National forest timber sale receipts and costs for 1995

A comparison of receipts and costs on every national forest.

National forest timber sale in 1993 and 1994

A comparison of receipts and costs on every national forest.

National forest timber sale receipts and costs for 1996

A comparison of receipts and costs on every national forest.

National parks in 1993

A comparison of receipts, costs, and visitation on every national park.

National parks in 1994

A comparison of receipts, costs, and visitation on every national park.

State park agencies

A comparison of receipts, costs, and visitation on state parks in every state.

State forest agencies

A comparison of receipts, costs, and outputs on state forests in every state.

State fish & wildlife agencies

A comparison of receipts, costs, and licences for fish and wildlife agencies in nearly every state.

Subsidies Anonymous

No. 24-Not Worth the Paper It's Printed On

The Forest Service releases the revised Tongass Forest plan. 8-28-97

No. 23-National Forest Timber Sale Receipts and Costs for 1995

Results for every national forest. 4-13-97

No. 22-Overview of the 1998 Forest Service Budget

The Forest Service produces much less yets spends about the same. 2-28-97

No. 21-Tongass National Forest Rip-Off Ends with a Bang

Louisiana-Pacific gains a windfall when it terminates the last long-term timber contract. 2-26-97

No. 20-Review of the Draft "Public Land Management Responsibility and Accountability Act"

Senator Larry Craig proposes to reform a sinking Forest Service, but ends up just rearranging the deck chairs. 1-28-97

No. 19-Wayne Forest Plan Overturned

A circuit court rules that the Forest Service has an incentive to overcut. 1-25-97

No. 18-The Salvage Sale Rider and the Knutson-Vandenburg Act

How the salvage sale rider influences forest managers; also, a book review of Forest Dreams, Forest Nightmares. 1-8-97

No. 17-The Forest Service Chief and the End of the U.S.D.A. Forest Service

Why the next Interior secretary is likely to take over the Forest Service. 1-6-97

No. 13-Analyzing the Forest Service's 1997 Budget

Are Americans getting their money's worth? 6-9-96

No. 9-Timber Famine or Timber Glut?

Perennial predictions of timber famines never come true. 3-13-96

No. 8-The Effects of Global Warming on America's Forests

Global warming is likely to depress timber prices because it will make trees grow faster. 3-1-96

Other Information

Statement of Range Principles

This statement was prepared by a consensus group that is being facilitated by the Thoreau Institute.

Statement of Forest Principles

Written by the Institute's board and inspired by the statement of range principles.

National forest reform proposal

A modest proposal drafted by the Thoreau Institute.

Electronic Drummer