Foundation for Research on Economics and the Environment
Encyclopedia
The Foundation for Research on Economics and the Environment (FREE), based in Bozeman, Montana
, is a think-tank that promotes free-market environmentalism
. FREE emphasizes reliance on market
mechanisms and private property
rights, rather than on environmental
regulation
, for protection of the environment. Its chairperson, John Baden
, a past member of the National Petroleum Council
, stresses decentralization
: a shift of control from what he calls "Green platonic despots" in the federal government to "local interests". Citing conservation
efforts such as those involving the Rocky Mountain Elk, Pheasants Forever
, and Trout Unlimited
, Baden asserts that the ideas FREE promotes have become "the norm among progressive, intellectually honest and successful environmentalists".
One of FREE's current projects is the "Charter Forest" project, in which control of national forests
would be devolved to local trusts. The plan was endorsed by the Bush
administration, but has yet to be put into effect.
Since 1992, FREE has offered expense-paid seminars in its
philosophy to federal judge
s. These seminars, held primarily at resorts and private ranches in Montana
, with good access to recreational activities such as trout
streams and golf
courses, have included such topics as "Environmental Protection: The Role of Community-Based Solutions to Environmental Problems", "The Environment: A CEO's Perspective", and "Liberty and the Environment: A Case for Judicial Activism". In the late 1990s, FREE says that nearly a third of the federal judiciary
had either attended or were seeking to attend its seminars. The group also offers expense-paid courses for university faculty and students, these reportedly taught on the campus of Montana State University
.
Between August 14 and 19, 2004, FREE hosted the 2004 general meeting of the Mont Pèlerin Society
at the Grand America Hotel in Salt Lake City, Utah
.
Among the members of FREE's Board of Directors is George M. Gray, the executive director of the Harvard Centre for Risk Analysis.
as well as from the following corporations:
Bozeman, Montana
Bozeman is a city in and the county seat of Gallatin County, Montana, United States, in the southwestern part of the state. The 2010 census put Bozeman's population at 37,280 making it the fourth largest city in the state. It is the principal city of the Bozeman micropolitan area, which consists...
, is a think-tank that promotes free-market environmentalism
Free-market environmentalism
Free-market environmentalism is a position that argues that the free market, property rights, and tort law provide the best tools to preserve the health and sustainability of the environment...
. FREE emphasizes reliance on market
Market
A market is one of many varieties of systems, institutions, procedures, social relations and infrastructures whereby parties engage in exchange. While parties may exchange goods and services by barter, most markets rely on sellers offering their goods or services in exchange for money from buyers...
mechanisms and private property
Property
Property is any physical or intangible entity that is owned by a person or jointly by a group of people or a legal entity like a corporation...
rights, rather than on environmental
Environmentalism
Environmentalism is a broad philosophy, ideology and social movement regarding concerns for environmental conservation and improvement of the health of the environment, particularly as the measure for this health seeks to incorporate the concerns of non-human elements...
regulation
Regulation
Regulation is administrative legislation that constitutes or constrains rights and allocates responsibilities. It can be distinguished from primary legislation on the one hand and judge-made law on the other...
, for protection of the environment. Its chairperson, John Baden
John Baden
John A. Baden is founder and chairman of the Foundation for Research on Economics and the Environment based in Bozeman, Montana. FREE's focus is environmental economics and policy analysis....
, a past member of the National Petroleum Council
National Petroleum Council
The National Petroleum Council is an American advisory committee representing oil and natural gas industry views to the Secretary of Energy.The council was established in 1946 at the request of President Harry S. Truman to represent industry views on any matters relating to oil and natural gas...
, stresses decentralization
Decentralization
__FORCETOC__Decentralization or decentralisation is the process of dispersing decision-making governance closer to the people and/or citizens. It includes the dispersal of administration or governance in sectors or areas like engineering, management science, political science, political economy,...
: a shift of control from what he calls "Green platonic despots" in the federal government to "local interests". Citing conservation
Conservation biology
Conservation biology is the scientific study of the nature and status of Earth's biodiversity with the aim of protecting species, their habitats, and ecosystems from excessive rates of extinction...
efforts such as those involving the Rocky Mountain Elk, Pheasants Forever
Pheasants Forever
Pheasants Forever, Inc. is a nonprofit conservation organization in the United States formed in response to the continuing decline of upland wildlife. Pheasants Forever have 700 chapters, including 74 in Minnesota, and about 110,000 members Nationwide, including 22,500 in Minnesota. Quail Forever,...
, and Trout Unlimited
Trout Unlimited
Trout Unlimited is an international non-profit organization dedicated to the conservation of freshwater streams, rivers, and associated upland habitats for trout, salmon, other aquatic species, and people. Often contracted as "TU," the organization began in 1959 in Michigan...
, Baden asserts that the ideas FREE promotes have become "the norm among progressive, intellectually honest and successful environmentalists".
One of FREE's current projects is the "Charter Forest" project, in which control of national forests
United States National Forest
National Forest is a classification of federal lands in the United States.National Forests are largely forest and woodland areas owned by the federal government and managed by the United States Forest Service, part of the United States Department of Agriculture. Land management of these areas...
would be devolved to local trusts. The plan was endorsed by the Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
administration, but has yet to be put into effect.
Since 1992, FREE has offered expense-paid seminars in its
philosophy to federal judge
Judge
A judge is a person who presides over court proceedings, either alone or as part of a panel of judges. The powers, functions, method of appointment, discipline, and training of judges vary widely across different jurisdictions. The judge is supposed to conduct the trial impartially and in an open...
s. These seminars, held primarily at resorts and private ranches in Montana
Montana
Montana is a state in the Western United States. The western third of Montana contains numerous mountain ranges. Smaller, "island ranges" are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains. This geographical fact is reflected in the state's name,...
, with good access to recreational activities such as trout
Trout
Trout is the name for a number of species of freshwater and saltwater fish belonging to the Salmoninae subfamily of the family Salmonidae. Salmon belong to the same family as trout. Most salmon species spend almost all their lives in salt water...
streams and golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
courses, have included such topics as "Environmental Protection: The Role of Community-Based Solutions to Environmental Problems", "The Environment: A CEO's Perspective", and "Liberty and the Environment: A Case for Judicial Activism". In the late 1990s, FREE says that nearly a third of the federal judiciary
Judiciary
The judiciary is the system of courts that interprets and applies the law in the name of the state. The judiciary also provides a mechanism for the resolution of disputes...
had either attended or were seeking to attend its seminars. The group also offers expense-paid courses for university faculty and students, these reportedly taught on the campus of Montana State University
Montana State University - Bozeman
Montana State University – Bozeman is a public university located in Bozeman, Montana. It is the state's land-grant university and primary campus in the Montana State University System, which is part of the Montana University System...
.
Between August 14 and 19, 2004, FREE hosted the 2004 general meeting of the Mont Pèlerin Society
Mont Pelerin Society
The Mont Pelerin Society is an international organization composed of economists , philosophers, historians, intellectuals, business leaders, and others who favour classical liberalism...
at the Grand America Hotel in Salt Lake City, Utah
Salt Lake City, Utah
Salt Lake City is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Utah. The name of the city is often shortened to Salt Lake or SLC. With a population of 186,440 as of the 2010 Census, the city lies in the Salt Lake City metropolitan area, which has a total population of 1,124,197...
.
Among the members of FREE's Board of Directors is George M. Gray, the executive director of the Harvard Centre for Risk Analysis.
Funding
According to FREE's website, in 2005 funding of $10,000 or more came from the following foundations:- The Ajax Foundation
- The Carthage Foundation
- Castle Rock FoundationCastle Rock FoundationThe Castle Rock Foundation is a conservative foundation started in 1993 with an endowment of $36.6M from the Adolph Coors Foundation. It ranked as Colorado's 15th largest foundation by assets at the end of 2001...
- The Chase Foundation
- The Earhart FoundationEarhart FoundationThe Earhart Foundation is a private charitable foundation that funds research and scholarship. It was founded in 1929 by oil executive Harry Boyd Earhart.- History :...
- The Pierre F. and Enid Goodrich Foundation
- The Harold and Reta Haynes Family Foundation
- The Kanzanjian Foundation
- The Claude R. Lambe Foundation
- The Lilly EndowmentLilly EndowmentLilly Endowment Inc., headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana is one of the world's largest private philanthropic foundations and is among the ten largest such endowments in the United States....
- The M. J. Murdock Charitable Trust
- The John William Pope Foundation
- The Walker Foundation
as well as from the following corporations:
- ExxonMobilExxonMobilExxon Mobil Corporation or ExxonMobil, is an American multinational oil and gas corporation. It is a direct descendant of John D. Rockefeller's Standard Oil company, and was formed on November 30, 1999, by the merger of Exxon and Mobil. Its headquarters are in Irving, Texas...
- GE Fund
- John Deere & Co.
- Port Blakely Tree Farms
- Tindley Corp.
Sources
- This article uses material from the Disinfopedia article on Foundation for Research on Economics and the Environment.
- Official website of the Foundation for Research on Economics and the Environment.
- Funding information, accessed January 2004.