PERC—the Property and Environment Research Center—is dedicated to improving environmental quality through property rights and markets amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. The PERC team remains hard at work continuing its conservation efforts remotely. We’re living with much uncertainty these days, but PERC is taking this time as a team to dive deep into research, look ahead to the future, and think creatively about how best to make a difference. Through research, relationship building, and communications, PERC is working hard to achieve conservation outcomes in 2020.

Environmental tourism has decreased dramatically due to COVID-19, resulting in a decline in conservation funding. PERC research is exploring how market approaches and reducing burdensome regulations can diversify and strengthen conservation funding to recover from the current downturn. For example, the decline in international tourism has reduced the resources available for counter-poaching in Africa. The New York Times quoted Research Fellow Catherine Semcer on how diversifying the sources of revenue that support wildlife conservation can help address current and future problems. Similar financial challenges are facing natural resource conservation issues in the United States and PERC remains committed to advocating how market tools such as user-fees and private investment are needed. 

Additionally, it is times like these that people find solace in nature, a refuge from the craziness around us. To celebrate the outside world with communities, PERC launched the #ThinkOutsideWithPERC campaign on Instagram. It’s for folks who need an outlet and want to relive and share a favorite moment outdoors. Join PERC in celebrating time in nature and the hopefulness that we can get back to these special places soon by tagging #ThinkOutsideWithPERC on your posts. 

PERC remains committed to solving environmental problems with market approaches and looks forward to the time we can all be together outside again.