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Archives for 2021

Measuring trail use in Montana’s Bridger mountains

December 2021

The Bridger Mountains with an agricultural field in the foreground, in Gallatin County, Montana.

Detailed estimates of summer trail use help show the impacts of growing recreational use and highlight infrastructure needs in southwest Montana.

Improving benefit-cost analyses for rural areas

November 2021

Benefit-cost analysis, required for many federal funding sources, puts smaller, rural, and low-income communities at a disadvantage.

Housing costs broke records across the U.S.

September 2021

Unaffordable housing came to a head during the pandemic as communities across the country saw unprecedented rises in housing costs.

Unaffordability for renters made worse during the pandemic

September 2021

Houses in San Francisco

The unprecedented rise in housing prices since 2020 has affected renters more than homeowners—especially in places that were already unaffordable.

The unequal impacts of wildfire

September 2021

Aerial view of neighborhood destroyed by wildfire.

See where wildfire risk intersects social and economic factors that can make it difficult for people to prepare for, respond to, and recover from wildfire.

Diversifying revenue on New Mexico state trust lands

September 2021

New activities can help guarantee and diversify future revenue from New Mexico state trust lands, complementing the successful Land Grant Permanent Fund.

Mountain, Midwest, and Gulf States fail to secure FEMA resilience funding

July 2021

Bridge at South Manhattan Ave

Rural and lower capacity communities failed to successfully compete for FEMA Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) funding in FY 2020.

Federal Fossil Fuel Disbursements to States

June 2021

An oil well on Bureau of Land Management land in New Mexico

States tend to spend, rather than save, federal fossil fuel disbursements, potentially making them vulnerable to economic transitions.

The Future of the Outdoor Recreation Economy

June 2021

A young girl and man paddle in a red canoe.

The outdoor recreation economy is strong, diverse, and growing, helping communities thrive.

Living with wildfire

May 2021

Watch “Living with wildfire.” Wildfires are an inescapable and necessary function of healthy ecosystems. In the past decade they have increased in severity and duration, killed more people, and burned more structures.

National monuments can boost local economies

May 2021

A red dirt road below rock bluffs in Bears Ears National Monument.

Recent studies find that national monument designations do not negatively impact local economic performance, and in many cases strengthen local economies.

How state and local budgets are vulnerable to climate change

May 2021

Flooding in Austin, Minnesota. Photo: Tim Ruzek

Climate change has the potential to destabilize general operating budgets and constrain access to lending markets. These presentations share promising solutions for “climate-proofing” budgets.

Innovative New Ways to Count Outdoor Recreation

March 2021

Hikers pass a trail marker on the Skyline Trail.

New data sources can change the way we count outdoor recreation, allowing trail managers to better advocate for improvements and plan for growing demand.

Wildland-Urban Interface: The Problem, Trends, & Solutions (slides)

February 2021

Slide show: The wildland-urban interface is growing and wildfires are causing cause more damage. Land use planning is an important solution.

Why fiscal policy solutions are necessary

February 2021

This panel discussion, with examples from Montana and New Mexico, examines how fiscal policies have failed rural communities.

Decreasing flood risk in rural communities: a pilot program in Three Forks, Montana

February 2021

Flood risk is underestimated in the U.S., but better maps and data are not enough to help communities. They must be accompanied with resources to support local action.

Wildfire Risk Report for every U.S. community

February 2021

A new report in our Economic Profile System provides community-level data about wildfire hazard and potentially vulnerable populations.

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