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Headwaters-staff-Mark-Haggerty

Mark Haggerty

  mark@headwaterseconomics.org       406.570.5626

Mark moved to Bozeman, Montana in 1993 and has worked across the state and the West as a researcher, teacher, community organizer, and facilitator. At Headwaters Economics for the past 10 years, Mark has worked to understand why some communities do better than others, and to communicate key lessons and policy ideas to people working to make their own states, counties, and towns more livable and sustainable. Mark's expertise is in fiscal policy, rural economic development, and community planning. He’s served on local planning boards, worked with county commissioners and state legislators across the West, and testified in Congress at the request of both Republicans and Democrats. Mark holds a B.A. in Economics and M.A. in Geography from the University of Colorado.

President’s Budget Proposal Cuts County Payments

June 2017

New analysis and interactive map show how the President’s budget proposal cuts county payments and the impact for every county in the nation.

June 5, 2017 Filed Under: County Payments, Tax Policy

Communities at Risk from Closing Coal Plants

March 2017

This post compares economic and demographic characteristics of communities where coal-fired power plants have recently retired or are scheduled to retire.

March 23, 2017 Filed Under: Coal, Disadvantaged Populations, Economic Development, Equity Tagged With: Disadvantaged Populations

Time to Create a Natural Resources Trust

March 2017

Unlike most countries and state governments, the U.S. has not created a natural resources trust which could help meet volatility and spending challenges facing local and county governments.

March 22, 2017 Filed Under: Best Practices, County Payments, Tax Policy

As Energy Market Forces Shift Coal Woes West, Transition Planning Should Follow

December 2016

Headwaters-staff-Mark-Haggerty

The new Administration’s plans to remove coal regulations should not dampen efforts to shift coal transition planning West to assist displaced workers and diversify coal-dependent communities.

December 8, 2016 Filed Under: Coal, Economic Development

Federal Coal Program in Context

October 2016

Explore the Socioeconomic Context of the Federal Coal Leasing Program

October 10, 2016 Filed Under: Coal, Tax Policy

County Payments Research

October 2016

Logging Truck, County Payments, endowing federal public land counties

County governments are compensated for the tax-exempt status of federal public lands within their boundaries. These payments often constitute a significant portion of county and school budgets, particularly in rural counties with extensive public land ownership.

October 2, 2016 Filed Under: County Payments, Tax Policy

Economic Conditions in Communities Dependent on Federal Coal

September 2016

Headwaters-staff-Mark-Haggerty

This blog draws on federal data and research to describe more about the local economies of the communities dependent on federal coal.

September 15, 2016 Filed Under: Coal, Disadvantaged Populations, Economic Development, Equity Tagged With: Disadvantaged Populations

Changed Electric Power Markets Create New Volatility for Coal

September 2016

Headwaters-staff-Mark-Haggerty

Lower overall coal generating capacity—the outcome of coal fired power plant retirements and a demand for coal that rises and falls depending on natural gas prices—will create new volatility for coal jobs and for counties, schools, and states that depend on tax revenues from coal.

September 12, 2016 Filed Under: Coal, Economic Development

Wildlife Refuge Payments: Reforms and Funding

April 2016

Headwaters-staff-Mark-Haggerty

How national wildlife refuge payments–especially important to rural counties–could be reformed and funded.

April 26, 2016 Filed Under: County Payments, Tax Policy

Reforming Wildlife Refuge Payments

April 2016

How county governments can benefit from reforming wildlife refuge payments.

April 19, 2016 Filed Under: County Payments, Tax Policy

Planning for Montana’s Energy Transition

February 2016

While Montana is likely to experience relatively small impacts, coal-dependent communities in Eastern Montana are likely to feel the acute effects of job losses and declining tax revenue in the coming decades.

February 18, 2016 Filed Under: Coal, Economic Development, Local Studies Tagged With: Local Studies

Outcomes of Higher Federal Coal and Natural Gas Royalty Rates

December 2015

coal-shovel-and-haul-truck

Analysis shows that proposed federal royalty reforms will increase the cost of delivering natural gas to domestic power plants by a greater amount than coal.

December 15, 2015 Filed Under: Coal, Oil & Gas, Tax Policy Tagged With: coal, natural gas, Oil & Gas, rate, royalty

Coal Royalty Reform: Impact on Prices, Production, and State Revenue

August 2015

The proposed federal coal royalty reform rule could have substantial revenue benefits for federal and state governments, limited impact on coal production or prices on federal lands, and increased transparency.

August 8, 2015 Filed Under: Coal, Tax Policy

County Payment Reform Ideas, and Analysis of Recent Proposals

April 2015

Bar chart showing payments to counties

Reform ideas for future county payments from Headwaters Economics as well analysis of proposals made in the House, Senate, and by the President.

April 1, 2015 Filed Under: County Payments, Tax Policy

Will Federal Coal Valuation Reforms Hurt the Coal Industry? Yes And No

March 2015

Headwaters-staff-Mark-Haggerty

The Office of Natural Resources Revenue recently proposed a new rule that would change the way federal coal is valued for royalty purposes. Will it hurt the industry? Yes and No.

March 31, 2015 Filed Under: Coal, Energy, Tax Policy Tagged With: Energy

Unconventional Oil and Gas Revenues to Local Governments

March 2015

Med-western US states

This report includes seven major energy-producing states and a new interactive adds four more (AR, LA, and PA). The study and interactive compare how local governments receive production tax revenue from unconventional oil and natural gas.

March 8, 2015 Filed Under: Best Practices, Oil & Gas, Tax Policy Tagged With: Oil & Gas

Federal Coal Royalty Valuation: Current Structure, Effective Rates, and Reform Options

January 2015

This report reviews problems with the current federal royalty system, estimates current effective royalty rates, and offers several reform options.

January 30, 2015 Filed Under: Coal, Tax Policy

Time for a U.S. Natural Resources Trust?

November 2014

Headwaters-staff-Mark-Haggerty

Compared to other nations and even U.S. states, the federal government is a conspicuous laggard in creating a natural resources trust which would allow for stable, permanent, and ever rising payments to states and local governments without risks to taxpayers.

November 13, 2014 Filed Under: Best Practices, County Payments, Tax Policy

Falling Oil Prices: Good for the U.S. Economy, Bad for Shale Communities?

November 2014

Headwaters-staff-Mark-Haggerty

Lower oil prices could be great for the economy, but for the communities dependent on drilling, the price drop may prove challenging for several reasons.

November 5, 2014 Filed Under: Best Practices, Economic Development, Oil & Gas, Tax Policy Tagged With: Oil & Gas

North Dakota Not Returning Adequate Oil Revenue to Local Governments

February 2014

North Dakota

This report compares how North Dakota provides local governments with production tax revenue from unconventional oil extraction compared to other major energy-producing states.

February 12, 2014 Filed Under: Best Practices, Tax Policy

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