FREE just completed a conference for religious leaders, “The Environmental Economics of Creation Stewardship.” Participants came from a dozen states and even more denominations. All agreed we are indeed blessed to live here. Hiking, riding, and rafting near Gallatin Gateway testify to an environment worth conserving. And this is a great place to learn how […]

During this tough year for the American economy, President Obama repeatedly has declared “If we want more good news on the jobs front then we’ve got to make more investments in education.” While others have challenged the federal role in education and debated the issue of tuition vouchers versus public schools, there has been little […]

I lived in Seattle during the academic years of the early 1990s. Ramona and I had sold our half band of breeding ewes (A band of sheep is 1,000 animals.), but ran a few dozen horses on our winter range. A good neighbor fed and monitored the horses while another friend lived in the manager’s […]

We recently joined friends in exploring unused railroad lines in northern Idaho. This is part of my new research project on the economic and cultural history of a changing West. The “rails to trails” concept has the potential to counter fiscal constraints. The conversion of railroad rights of way to bike trails illustrates creative and […]