Jeff Welch, Chief Executive Officer of MercuryCSC, was a featured speaker on a climate change panel that was hosted by the National Parks Conservation Association and the Big Sky Institute in February 2009. Citing research on the geotraveler and the importance of tourism to Rocky Mountain States’ economies, Welch suggested that extreme climate change could have a large and negative economic impact in Montana and throughout the Rocky Mountain West. "If the wildlife, natural wonders and recreational opportunities that geotravelers are attracted to become severely impacted by climate change," Welch said "then there is the real possibility that our best customers will stop coming."