Property and Environment Research Center

What Property and Environment Research Center does

The Property and Environment Research Center (PERC), founded in 1980 and headquartered in Bozeman, Montana, is a U.S. nonprofit think tank that develops and advocates market-based solutions to conservation challenges affecting land, water, and wildlife. Rather than building proprietary technology products, PERC operates a portfolio of research publications (the bimonthly PERC Reports magazine and standalone research reports), policy advocacy programs (Law & Policy, Innovation Lab), and convening activities such as workshops and the annual Wildlands music festival fundraiser. The organization's work centers on aligning economic incentives for private landowners, ranchers, and resource users, with current programmatic focus areas including healthy public and private lands, wildlife management innovation, forest restoration, sustainable public lands, and water conservation innovation. Notable operational initiatives include coordinating roughly $500,000 of virtual fencing pilot deployments across Wyoming, Idaho, Wisconsin, and California (in partnership with Halter), and executing an MOU with the State of Utah to design voluntary water-leasing models for the Great Salt Lake.

PERC's business model is nonprofit philanthropy rather than commercial product sales. Revenue is generated through individual donations (Lone Mountain Society for major donors, Monthly Giving Society, Legacy Society for planned giving, plus PayPal and stock contributions), foundation and government grants, and the annual Wildlands music festival at Big Sky Events Arena, now in its sixth year and capped at 5,000 attendees. The flagship PERC Reports magazine is distributed free of charge, and the email newsletter reaches over 10,000 subscribers, making the organization's primary "go-to-market" a content-and-advocacy model aimed at government agencies, private landowners and ranchers, conservation organizations, and the general public. Distribution spans the Western U.S. (Montana, Wyoming, Idaho, Utah, California, Pacific Northwest) with selected Northeastern activity (Maine forests). The organization is led by CEO Brian Yablonski and staffed by 11–50 employees, supported by senior fellows drawn from academic institutions including William and Mary Law School, the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and Stanford's Hoover Institution.

Name

Property and Environment Research Center

Legal name

Property and Environment Research Center

Website

https://perc.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1980

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Property and Environment Research Center is a Bozeman, Montana-based nonprofit think tank founded in 1980 that researches and advocates market-based conservation solutions, serving policymakers, ranchers, landowners, and conservation organizations across the United States.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Conservation Research and Policy Advocacy

akta.pro primary industry

Land Trusts & Protected Areas (BPAGAGAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Climate Finance, Carbon Markets & MRV Systems (BPADALAB)

Keywords

• Market-based conservation
• Environmental research
• Conservation policy advocacy
• Wildlife management innovation
• Water markets research

Headquarters

HQ city

Bozeman

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: PERC operates as a nonprofit organization funded primarily through charitable donations from individuals and foundations. They accept donations through their website via PayPal, stocks and bonds, and various giving societies including the Lone Mountain Society (major donors), Monthly Giving Society, and Legacy Society (planned giving).
2. Wildlands Music Festival Revenue: The annual Wildlands music festival benefits PERC, generating revenue through ticket sales. The 2026 festival limited to 5,000 attendees with headliners including Carrie Underwood.
3. Grants and Partnerships: PERC receives support through partnerships with government agencies (MOU with State of Utah), foundations, and conservation organizations to develop conservation models and policy recommendations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Property and Environment Research Center (PERC) is a nonprofit research institute and think tank that develops and promotes market-based solutions for environmental conservation. The organization produces research publications (PERC Reports magazine and research reports), advances policy reform through its Law & Policy initiative, prototypes conservation models in its Innovation Lab, and convenes stakeholders through workshops and the annual Wildlands music festival. Its work targets land, water, and wildlife stewardship through voluntary, incentive-aligned approaches rather than regulatory mandates.

Product overview

PERC (Property and Environment Research Center) is a nonprofit conservation organization that serves as the national leader in market solutions for conservation. Rather than a technology product company, PERC offers a portfolio of research publications, policy programs, and educational content including the PERC Reports Magazine (a bimonthly publication), research reports, an Innovation Lab for developing conservation models, Law & Policy initiatives, and the Wildlands music festival fundraiser. These offerings collectively advance PERC's mission of aligning incentives for environmental stewardship to produce sustainable outcomes for land, water, and wildlife.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• PERC Reports Magazine
• Research Reports
• Innovation Lab
• Law & Policy
• PERC Reports Magazine, Summer 2026 Issue
• Wildlands Music Festival

Quantifiable outcome

• Virtual fence technology can pay for itself within 5-10 years through improved rangeland management, better weaning weights, and reduced labor costs
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• State of UtahcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 July 2024PERC entered into a memorandum of understanding with the State of Utah to address declining Great Salt Lake levels. PERC is helping develop a comprehensive model to identify water conservation opportunities and facilitate voluntary water leasing as a cooperative solution rather than mandates or forced reductions.
• HaltercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHalter supplies virtual fence technology (satellite-connected electronic collars for cattle) that PERC coordinates and promotes for ranching and conservation applications across Wyoming, Idaho, Wisconsin, and California.
• Beyond Yellowstone ProgramcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with the Beyond Yellowstone Program, headed by elk ecologist Arthur Middleton (chief wildlife advisor to U.S. Secretary of Agriculture), to host workshops and advance virtual fencing technology for both ranching and conservation.
• The Nature ConservancyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMentioned in virtual fencing context as an organization implementing projects to exclude cattle from riparian areas to protect endangered Arctic grayling and streams.
• Greater Yellowstone CoalitionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPERC partnered with the Greater Yellowstone Coalition on occupancy agreements for elk and mule deer winter range conservation.
• World Wildlife FundminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRanchers partnering with WWF use virtual fencing to manage rotational grazing, which can lead to improved soil conditions for carbon sequestration, grassland health, and insect habitat.
• Outlaw PartnersminorGTM or Marketing PartnerOrganizes the Wildlands music festival, now in its sixth year, which benefits PERC. The 2026 festival features Carrie Underwood as headliner alongside Kaitlin Butts, Riley Green, and LeAnn Rimes.
• Wildlife Conservation SocietyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-led advocacy for the National Bison Legacy Act alongside the InterTribal Buffalo Council and National Bison Association.
• InterTribal Buffalo CouncilminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-led advocacy for designating bison as America's national mammal through the National Bison Legacy Act.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• R Street Institute: R Street Institute is a nonprofit, free-market-oriented think tank producing policy research across multiple domains including environment and energy. Like PERC, it advocates market-based solutions, engages policymakers directly, and operates through publications and policy briefs.
• Competitive Enterprise Institute: CEI is a libertarian think tank that, like PERC, critiques regulatory approaches to environmental policy and promotes market-based alternatives. PERC's senior fellow Jonathan Adler previously directed CEI's environmental studies program, evidencing direct organizational and ideological overlap.
• Manhattan Institute: The Manhattan Institute is a free-market policy research organization that recently recruited PERC's former VP of Research Shawn Regan. It produces applied policy research on environmental, energy, and regulatory issues with comparable ideological orientation.
• Hoover Institution: Hoover Institution at Stanford is a public policy research center where PERC senior fellow Dominic Parker holds a senior fellowship. Both organizations emphasize market-oriented policy research and publish widely in academic and popular venues.
• Cato Institute: Cato Institute is a libertarian think tank that, like PERC, advances property-rights-based and market-oriented environmental policy positions. Both organizations publish research, op-eds, and policy briefs targeting federal and state policymakers.
• Reason Foundation: Reason Foundation is a libertarian think tank that, like PERC, researches and promotes market-oriented environmental policy. It publishes Reason magazine, conducts policy analysis, and engages in state and federal advocacy on natural resource issues.

Emerging players

• The Nature Conservancy: The Nature Conservancy is a major environmental NGO that partners with PERC on virtual fencing projects for riparian protection. While TNC's scale and mission are far broader, both organizations engage in on-the-ground conservation work with private landowners and ranchers.
• National Wildlife Federation: National Wildlife Federation is a large conservation advocacy organization operating at federal and state levels. Although it takes a more regulatory-oriented approach than PERC, both engage in wildlife management policy, rancher outreach, and conservation program implementation.
• World Wildlife Fund: World Wildlife Fund is a global conservation organization partnering with PERC on virtual fencing and rotational grazing for soil carbon sequestration. The partnership reflects shared interest in market-compatible conservation, though WWF's scope is far broader.
• Wildlife Conservation Society: Wildlife Conservation Society co-led advocacy with PERC for the National Bison Legacy Act. Both organizations engage in federal wildlife policy and conservation of large North American species, though WCS is primarily a zoo and field-program operator.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/PERCtweets
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@PERCtv
• Facebookfacebook.com/PERCgroup
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/perc
• Instagraminstagram.com/perc_conserves

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Property and Environment Research Center