Are large national monuments such as Bears Ears in Utah and the Upper Missouri River Breaks in Montana land grabs that strangle local economies and kill jobs or are they opportunities for communities to build a local economy based on tourism? Dr. Paul Jakus will give a free talk on Thursday, November 9 titled “Do Large National Monuments Help or Hinder Local Economies” that examines the question of whether designation of a large national monument helps or hurts the economic performance of nearby communities. Dr. Jakus is a Professor of Economics at Utah State University. He conducts research on a range of environmental policy issues including public lands, outdoor recreation, environmental health, and waste management, and has published extensively in leading environmental economics journals. The talk will take place in Linfield Hall 125 at Montana State University and begin at 7:30 p.m. It is free and open to the public.