Learning from the past to preserve the future of public lands
Welcome to the Public Lands History Center!
Established in 2007, the award-winning Public Lands History Center (PLHC) integrates research, education, and outreach in the best tradition of a land-grant university. Projects with National Parks and other public land management agencies enlist faculty, graduate students, and other researchers to conduct historical research that directly informs current resource management challenges. Our American West Program seeks to expose audiences to significant research, dynamic speakers, narratives of change and contestation, and the excitement of interdisciplinary dialogue on human-environment issues in the West. The PLHC gets students out of the classroom and into the field to get the experience and connections they need for fulfilling careers after graduation.
Recent News
Faculty Director Jared Orsi Published in The Conversation
Last Week, PLHC Faculty Director Dr. Jared Orsi published an article in the Conversation discussing Quitobaquito, an oasis in Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument. With a rich historical and ecological past, Quitobaquito will be impacted by the Trump Administration’s planned border wall. Head over to our blog to read the full article, or view the […]
Research Collaboration with Colorado Parks and Wildlife Featured on State of Research Podcast
The Office of the Vice President for Research recently launched podcast showcasing research initiatives at Colorado State University. For the inaugural episode, State of Research host, Ty Betts, chose to highlight the Public Lands History Center’s ongoing research partnership with Colorado Parks and Wildlife. Now in its second year, the collaboration brings graduate student researchers […]
PLHC Intern Hailey Doucette on Her Day Shadowing an NPS Cultural Resource Program Manager
The following is written by Hailey Doucette, an intern at the PLHC during the fall ’19 semester: On October 2, 2019 I had the opportunity to shadow Rocky Mountain National Park’s Cultural Resource Program Manager, Kelly Dick, and a seasonal employee in cultural resources, Emilio Santiago. The day was spent in the field at Lake […]