PERC

Incentives are at the heart of lasting conservation. In a recent feature, CEO Brian Yablonski reflects on why keeping the West wild means aligning economics with ecology–and ensuring wildlife becomes an asset, not a liability, for the people who live alongside it. Read more: https://lnkd.in/gygBxq3T

Earlier this month, a lone gray wolf was spotted in Los Angeles County for the first time in more than a century. That would have seemed unthinkable when wolves were reintroduced to Yellowstone in the mid-1990s. Today, more than 6,000 wolves roam across 10 states, a powerful reminder that recovery is possible. But while the wolf’s comeback is extraordinary, it is also rare. Only 3 percent of species protected under the Endangered Species Act have fully recovered. In a recent Washington Post op-ed, PERC’s Jonathan Wood explains why lasting conservation success depends on treating private landowners as partners in recovery, not obstacles to it. Read the op-ed: https://lnkd.in/gQG5wrTV

Fewer than 150 dusky gopher frogs remain in the wild. Recovering the species will require restoring longleaf pine habitat across the Southeast, much of it on private land. But when 1,500 acres of private timberland in Louisiana were designated as “critical habitat” in 2012, the frog wasn’t there, and the land lacked the features it needs to survive. The designation reduced property values and triggered a Supreme Court case. It created conflict. It did not create habitat. If we want more wildlife recoveries, we need policies that reward landowners for restoring and maintaining habitat through clear definitions, voluntary agreements, habitat payments, and results-based incentives. On World Wildlife Day, our goal is about more than celebrating wildlife. Let’s build policies that help species like the dusky gopher frog recover in the real world.

Have you explored our new Virtual Fencing for Conservation roadmap yet? It’s a comprehensive guide with everything we’ve learned about this promising new technology based on our real world projects with ranchers, and workshops with leaders from wildlife, agriculture, tech, and government. Check out what’s new, what’s working, and what’s next at perc.org/virtualroadmap.

There are 620,000 miles of fencing across the rural West, enough to wrap around the Earth nearly 25 times. This enormous barrier stands in the way of wildlife migration and modern conservation. That’s why we’re pioneering new tools like virtual fencing that can protect livestock without dividing the land.

Virtual fencing is no longer a theory. It’s being tested on real ranches, in real landscapes, with real conservation challenges. Today, we're proud to share PERC's newest report, Virtual Fencing for Conservation: A Roadmap for Making Rangelands Work Better for Livestock and Wildlife. It's a practical guide to helping working lands do more for ranchers, wildlife, and the landscapes they share. This report draws on lessons from PERC’s Conservation Innovation Lab and pilot projects on working ranches. It identifies what’s working, what still needs improvement, and what will help this technology deliver real conservation gains at scale. Inside the Roadmap, you’ll find: - Practical insights from ranchers testing virtual fencing on the ground - Strategies to improve wildlife connectivity without sacrificing livestock control - The biggest barriers to adoption, and practical solutions to overcome them Policy and financing ideas to support expansion. We believe conservation and ranching succeed together. This roadmap is your guide to understanding how innovation can strengthen both. Read the full report: https://lnkd.in/gwZBC-Gr

Make it clear. Make it tight. Make it matter. We’re hiring an associate editor to partner with our talented writers and researchers. Bonus points if you: ✍️ love a clean rewrite ✍️ live for fact-checking ✍️ have strong editorial judgment ✍️ and yes, Oxford commas. Visit perc.org/careers to apply.

More regulation doesn’t always mean better conservation. Clear, workable rules under the Clean Water Act can reduce conflict, encourage landowner stewardship, and strengthen wetlands conservation, especially on private land. Read our new public comment on why clarity matters. 🔗 https://lnkd.in/g6kV3TgP.

"There is a growing recognition that conservation needs to work for people, not against them—as mandates often do," writes Brian Yablonski, CEO of the Property and Environment Research Center (PERC). Yablonski argues that as our environmental challenges evolve, our tools must too. The secret? Aligning human interest with ecological health. "Better incentives can be the tool to promote progress on recovery," he continues. "Incentives and markets align the interests of people with the needs of the environment. If you want more of something, then align the incentives." Read "The Next Era of American Conservation" at https://lnkd.in/g-7Ycnx9

🔥 Smokey wasn’t wrong about preventing destructive wildfires, but he was wrong about fire itself. Fire is a natural part of healthy forests, and we must bring it back to the landscape. Controlled burns and mechanical thinning reduce fuel, restore ecosystems, and make forests more resilient. Good fire, used the right way, is one of conservation’s greatest tools. Sorry Smokey. #ForestHealth #Conservation #FixOurForests #RXFire #Wildfire