Mission
CANRI is committed to interdisciplinary research and community engagement centered on natural resource issues and environmental problems in the Intermountain West and beyond. Affiliated faculty and students from the social sciences, humanities, and sciences seek to foster meaningful dialogue, cultivate academic and community collaborations, and share data and resources to affect social-environmental change.A Rich History
The institute was founded in 1968 and was formerly called the Institute for Social Science Research in Natural Resources (ISSRNR). Dr. Wade Andrews was the first director, followed by Dr. Rick Krannich. Their work leaves a terrific interdisciplinary legacy for CANRI. Initial research focused on water resources and expanded to energy resource development in the 1970s. Over the years, research interests have included earthquake risks and preparedness in Utah, local response to hazardous waste storage and disposal, public land resource management, wildlife resource management, and the socio-demographic changes occurring in rural areas characterized by “natural amenity”-based development. In recent years, research has focused on amenity migration and water resource issues in the Intermountain West and agricultural producer usage of soil and water conservation practices in various regions throughout the country. Funding has come from various federal and state agency grant sources (e.g., USDA, NSF, Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, Utah Department of Natural Resources, Utah Divisions of Water Resources & Water Quality, Public Land Policy Office) and non-profit foundations.
Leadership
CANRI Reports and Summaries