Department of Resource Economics
List of Featured Research Projects

Auction Allocating Nevada's Natural Resources: Examining Bidder Behavior in Bureau of Land Management Auctions
A multitude of natural resources in Nevada (such as public lands and wild horses) are allocated via auctions whereby the individual who places the highest bid obtains ownership rights and pays a price determined by the associated auction rules. Despite the widespread use of auctions to allocate Nevada's valuable natural resources, surprisingly little is known about the historical performance and design of BLM sales in the state. This project is designed to fill these gaps by gathering historical data on the structure of BLM auctions and the factors that influnece the allocation (and sale price) of the state's natural resources.
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Thomas Harris, Department of Resource Economics
Wild Horse Wild Horse and Burro Marketing Study
With an increasing population and economic activity in rural Nevada, conflicts between rural Nevada residents and wild horses and burros have become evident. The primary objective of this project is to determine which characteristics of wild horses and burros increase adoption rates and investigate alternative auction procedures which could increase adoption rates and simultaneously increase revenues to government agencies.
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Thomas Harris, Department of Resource Economics

 
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