The Center shapes and informs public policy by publishing Policy Reports on important emerging policy issues. These reports integrate in-depth scholarly research with the views and opinions of people interested in and affected by any particular policy issue. When appropriate, the Center uses various means (such as interviews and surveys) to engage stakeholders in naming problems and framing options, and then supplements this understanding with the best available information and ideas in the literature. 

In some cases, a Policy Report may serve as a catalyst for a multi-party dialogue or negotiation. In other cases, it may simply capture the status of a particular public policy issue and provide a useful analysis of the past, present, and options for the future. The Center carefully selects topics to address after consulting with citizens, leaders, and scholars.

A Sacred Responsibility: Governing the Use of Water and Related Resources in the International Columbia River Basin Through the Prism of Tribes and First Nations (2015)

Transboundary Conservation: A Systematic and Integrated Approach (2015)

Mapping the River Ahead: Priorities for Action Beyond the Colorado River Study (2014)

Large Landscape Conservation in the Rocky Mountain West: An Inventory and Status Report (2013)

The Legal Framework for Public Watershed Investment Partnerships (July 2012)

Bridging the Governance Gap: Strategies to Integrate Water and Land Use Planning (2^nd edition 2011)

Governing Like a River Basin: Options for Expanded Stakeholder Engagement in the Colorado River Basin (produced in cooperation with Carpe Diem West, 2011)

Thinking Like a River Basin: Leaders’ Perspectives on Options and Opportunities in Colorado River Management (produced in cooperation with Carpe Diem West, 2011)

Large Landscape Conservation: A Strategic Framework for Policy and Action (2010)

Remarkable Beyond Borders: People and Landscapes in the Crown of the Continent (produced in cooperation with the Sonoran Inst., 2010)

Federal-State Collaborative Initiatives for Resource Management and Restoration (2010)

California State Water Project Governance Options (2010)

A Federal Public Lands Agenda for the 21st Century (2008) 

Responding to Streams of Land Use Disputes: A Systems Approach (2007)

Bridging the Governance Gap: Strategies to Integrate Water and Land Use Planning (2007)

Sustaining Montana's Working Landscapes (2006)

Stream Access in Montana (2006)