Foundation for Research on Economics and the Environment

2025-07-23T22:58:20Z

89.12.26.35:

{{Short description|American think tank}}
{{Infobox organization
| name = Foundation for Research on Economics and the Environment
| formation = {{start date and age|1985||}}
| abbreviation = FREE
| founder = [[John Baden|John A. Baden, Ph.D.]]
| type = [[Nonprofit organization|Nonprofit]]
| tax_id = 94-3170425
| headquarters = [[Gallatin Gateway, Montana]]
| fields = [[Free-market environmentalism]]<br />[[Eco-capitalism]]
| leader_title = Board Chair
| leader_name = [[John Baden|John A. Baden, Ph.D.]]
| board_of_directors = [[John Baden|John A. Baden, Ph.D.]]; [[Alice M. Batchelder|Honorable Alice Batchelder]]; [[Edith Brown Clement|Honorable Edith Brown Clement]]; [[Jim Huffman|James Huffman]]; John McCormack; John A. Von Kannon; [[Todd Zywicki]]; Ramona Marotz-Baden, Ph.D.; [[Jonathan H. Adler|Professor Jonathan H. Adler]]
| website = https://www.free-eco.org/
}}{{primary sources|date=June 2007}}
'''The Foundation for Research on Economics and the Environment''' ('''FREE'''), based in [[Gallatin Gateway, Montana]], is an American think tank that promotes [[free-market environmentalism]]. FREE emphasizes reliance on [[Market (economics)|market]] mechanisms and private [[property]] rights, rather than on [[regulation]], for protection of the environment. Its chairperson and founder, [[John Baden]],<ref>{{Cite web |title=John A. Baden |url=https://www.independent.org/aboutus/person_detail.asp?id=4244 |access-date=2024-10-24 |website=The Independent Institute}}</ref> stresses [[decentralization]]: a shift of control from what he calls "green platonic despots" in the federal government to "local interests,"<ref>[http://www.free-eco.org/articleDisplay.php?id=192 ''More environmental Gore''] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040625053831/http://www.free-eco.org/articleDisplay.php?id=192 |date=2004-06-25 }}, John Baden, April 26, 1999</ref> including environmental groups. Citing [[conservation biology|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."<ref>[http://www.free-eco.org/articleDisplay.php?id=147 ''What was once radical now becoming mainstream''] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040408111622/http://www.free-eco.org/articleDisplay.php?id=147 |date=2004-04-08 }}, John Baden, May 9, 2001, originally published in the Bozeman Daily Chronicle.</ref> FREE's mission is to attract and work with conservationists, conservatives, and classical liberals who treasure responsible liberty, sustainable ecology, and modest prosperity.

John Baden has been a pioneer in free market environmentalism and its academic forerunner, the New Resource Economics. <ref>[http://thisisbozeman.com/new-resource-economics-description-history New Resource Economics]</ref> That work began with a 1973 article co-written with Richard Stroup, "Externality, Property Rights, and the Management of Our National Forests," in the ''Journal of Law and Economics.''<ref> Richard Stroup and John Baden, "Externality, Property Rights, and the Management of Our National Forests," October 1973 ''Journal of Law and Economics'' 303–312.</ref> This article identified problems with federal management of the national forests and explored the possible impacts of shifting those forests to private ownership.

One of FREE's past projects was the "Charter Forest" project,<ref>[http://www.ti.org/sacharter.html Charter Forest]</ref> in which control of [[United States National Forest|national forests]] were to be devolved to local trusts. The plan was endorsed by the [[George W. Bush|Bush]] administration,{{Citation needed|date=June 2008}} but has yet to be put into effect.

Since 1992, FREE has offered expense-paid seminars in its philosophy to federal [[judge]]s.<ref>[http://www.free-eco.org/programs_judges.php ''A Conference Series for Federal Judges, State Supreme Court Justices, & Law Professors''] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040805154316/http://free-eco.org/programs_judges.php |date=2004-08-05 }}, FREE's website.</ref> These seminars have included such topics as "Environmental Protection: The Role of Community-Based Solutions to Environmental Problems", "The Environment: A CEO's Perspective",<ref>[http://www.free-eco.org/agendas/agenda_seminar_judges_sept17_1996.html ''The Environment: A CEO's perspective''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040505000000/http://www.free-eco.org/agendas/agenda_seminar_judges_sept17_1996.html |date=2004-05-05 }}, FREE website, 1996</ref> and "Liberty and the Environment: A Case for Judicial Activism". FREE says that nearly a third of the federal [[judiciary]] had either attended or were seeking to attend its seminars in the late 1990s. The group also offers expense-paid courses for university faculty and students, these reportedly taught on the campus of [[Montana State University - Bozeman|Montana State University]].

Between August 14 and 19, 2004, FREE hosted the 2004 general meeting of the [[Mont Pelerin Society|Mont Pèlerin Society]] at the Grand America Hotel in [[Salt Lake City, Utah]].

==Board==
* [[John Baden|John A. Baden, PhD]]
* Ramona Marotz-Baden
* [[Alice M. Batchelder]]
* [[Edith Brown Clement]]
* [[Jim Huffman]]
* John McCormack
* John Von Kannon
* [[Todd Zywicki]]
* [[Jonathan H. Adler]]

===Former Board Members===
* [[Danny J. Boggs]]
* Steven J. Eagle
* Edwin Meese, III, JD

==References==
<references/>

==External links==
* {{official website|http://www.free-eco.org}}
* [http://nccsweb.urban.org/communityplatform/nccs/organization/profile/id/943170425/popup/1 Organizational profile] – [[National Center for Charitable Statistics]] ([[Urban Institute]])

[[Category:Environmental economics]]
[[Category:Environmental organizations based in Montana]]
[[Category:Non-profit organizations based in Montana]]
[[Category:Conservative organizations in the United States]]

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Foundation for Research on Economics and the Environment