A study investigating whether protected public lands play a positive or negative role in the economic health of nearby communities will be presented at a free lecture Jan. 12 at 7 p.m. on the University of Colorado at Boulder campus.
Ray Rasker, the author of the study, will talk about "Prosperity in the 21st Century: the Role of Protected Lands" in Eaton Humanities Building room IB050. Rasker is director of the SocioEconomics Program of the Sonoran Institute, a nonprofit organization that promotes community-based strategies for conservation and development.
The lecture is open to the public. The event is co-sponsored by the CU-Boulder School of Law's Natural Resources Law Center and the Center of the American West.
Patricia Limerick, CU-Boulder history and environmental studies professor and faculty director of the Center of the American West, will deliver a response to Rasker's lecture.
The findings of the study, which looked at wilderness, national parks, national monuments and other protected public lands, will shed new light on the economic role of public lands in the West.
"I heard Ray present a short version of his findings earlier in the fall and found it eye-opening," said Sarah Krakoff, associate professor of law and director of the Natural Resources Law Center. "Everyone who thinks and cares about land use in the West should know about this study."
Rasker has written numerous articles on public land management, wildlife economics and the changing economy of the West. He also conducts workshops to help communities produce their own socioeconomic profiles, understand economic realities and identify opportunities for environmentally compatible forms of economic development.
A reception will follow the lecture. For more information contact Krakoff at (303) 492-1287 or Dirk Martin at (303) 492-3140.