The Next West: Public Lands, Community, and Economy in the American West

1998 ◽  
Vol 29 (3) ◽  
pp. 390
Author(s):  
Donald Worster ◽  
John A. Baden ◽  
Donald Snow
Keyword(s):  
American West ◽  
Public Lands

Public Lands and Political Meaning: Ranchers, the Government, and the Property between Them. By Karen R. Merrill. Berkeley: University of California Press, 2002. Pp. xix, 274. $50.00.

2003 ◽  
Vol 63 (1) ◽  
pp. 282-283
Author(s):  
Jeffrey B. Nugent
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
American West ◽  
Public Lands ◽  
Land Policy ◽  
University Of California ◽  
Public Land ◽  
The Political ◽  
Land Use Regulations ◽  
History Of ◽  
The Government

The objective of this book by Karen Merrill is to use the history of public land policy to better understand the political history of the American West since 1870 and the recurring tensions between government, ranchers, and environmentalists. Although the book is aimed primarily at political historians, it is a useful reference for economic historians interested in property rights and land-use regulations.

scholarly journals National monuments and economic growth in the American West

2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (12) ◽  
pp. eaay8523
Author(s):  
Margaret Walls ◽  
Patrick Lee ◽  
Matthew Ashenfarb
Keyword(s):  
Economic Growth ◽  
Growth Rate ◽  
American West ◽  
Public Lands ◽  
The United States ◽  
Scientific Interest ◽  
Local Economies ◽  
West Region ◽  
National Monuments ◽  
Mountain West

National monuments in the United States are protected lands that contain historic landmarks, historic and prehistoric structures, or other objects of historic or scientific interest. Their designations are often contentious. Opponents argue that monuments hurt local economies by limiting uses of public lands, while supporters counter that monuments create a new amenity-driven economy. We use panel data on all business establishments in the eight-state Mountain West region to estimate economic impacts of 14 monument designations over a 25-year period. We find that monuments increased the average number of establishments and jobs in areas near monuments; increased the average establishment growth rate; had no effect, positive or negative, on the number of jobs in establishments that existed pre-designation; and had no effect on mining and other industries that use public lands. On net, protecting lands as national monuments has been more help than hindrance to local economies in the American West.

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