Salma and Owen’s research quantified the economic benefits of the Blackfoot Challenge’s public-private partnerships in the Blackfoot watershed. They focused on the Blackfoot Challenge’s forestry and water programs. Each of these programs provides several benefits, including jobs, regional spending, and avoided costs.
In addition to completing a report and methodology write up, Salma and Owen traveled to Missoula, Montana to present their findings to the Blackfoot Challenge’s Board of Directors. Attendees also included staff and interested community members.
Salma and Owen’s research will help stakeholders, from landowners to government agencies, understand the importance of conservation nonprofits to local economies. They hope this project will spur further investment into similar nonprofits across the American West which play a valuable role connecting resources to the people who need them. Please read Salma’s most recent blog post about the trip by visiting this page here.
Salma Huque – Research Assistant | Salma is a Master of Environmental Management candidate specializing in Water Resources. She is interested in watershed management, public land use, and conservation in the American West. Salma holds a BA in Economics from Reed College. Her work experience includes time as an environmental consultant in Oregon, a research assistant for the USFS’s Intermountain West region, and a water conservation data scientist in western Colorado. She has a strong coding background and loves the challenge of communicating data-heavy analyses to the public. Outside of work and school, Salma can be found road cycling, knitting, and yelling at hockey players from her couch. See what Salma has been up to. |Blog
