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The '''Property and Environment Research Center''' (PERC) is a think tank based in Bozeman, Montana that specialises in [[free market environmentalism]]. ==History== Known formely as the the [[Political Economy Research Center]], PERC identifies itself as "the center for free market environmentalism". This use of environmentalism in connection with the language of free market economics is now commonplace with a host of similar groups, as if it were a valid form of environmentalism rather than a tactic in the overall strategy for taking control of the public's land. PERC links to a long list of the country's most powerful rightwing foundations and organizations committed to deregulation of industry and to the privatization of everything. PERC's basic premise is that ownership and management of land by government is bad for the environment and that private property rights lead to better "stewardship of resources". The Federal Government is depicted not as an entity "of, by, and for the people" but as something far, far away and characterized by faceless, incompetent, bureaucrats. PERC advances its agenda through policy analysis, conferences, books and articles, and "education". ==Personnel== *[[Donald R. Leal]] - don@perc.org *[[Bruce Yandle]] - yandle@clemson.edu *[[Roger Meiners]] - meiners@uta.edu *[[Richard L. Stroup]], Senior Associate ==Funding== PERC recently underwent a name change from "Political Econonomy Research Center", this at some point since April, 2003. According to Mediatransparency, PERC under its old name, received $603,600 from Bradley Foundation and $640,775 from Olin Foundation. Other funding has come from Sarah Scaife, JM, Lambe, McKenna, Earhart, Koch, Carthage and Castle Rock -- the guts of a force of roughly a dozen or so foundations that, since the 1960s, have coordinated their efforts toward forging national policy favorable to deregulation of industry and to privatization. According to Mediatransparency's records, PERC received $4,175,875 from all funding sources combined from 1985 to 2002. http://www.exxonsecrets.org/html/orgfactsheet.php?id=62Exxon also has yearly donated money to this group. ==Contact information== 2048 Analysis Drive Suite A <br> Bozeman <br> Montana 59718 <br> Phone 406 587 9591 <br> http://www.perc.org/ <br> ==External links==