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With stunning vistas and outdoor recreation opportunities within driving distance of every community in Wyoming, the Cowboy State is the fourth-fastest growing outdoor economy in the nation, with over $2 billion generated in 2023.
Dr. Megan Lawson uses economic and statistical analysis to better understand the issues that communities face such as the economic potential and impacts of housing and land use policies, outdoor recreation, economic diversification, and public land management.
Megan is nationally known for her expertise in measuring the economic and community impacts of outdoor recreation and the potential of recreation activities to support local jobs and income. She leads collaborative projects across the United States pioneering new methods for estimating where and when people are recreating on public lands. Her innovative approach to measuring trail use is improving the ability of land managers to meet the increasing demand for healthy, outdoor recreation opportunities.
Equal parts scientist and communicator, Megan uses data to conduct actionable research that illuminates solutions. She applies analytical skills to land use, natural resource, and public health topics, with an emphasis on the unique needs and opportunities for rural communities. In every project, Megan builds trust through good listening and observational skills and her commitment to understanding communities’ needs and priorities.
A sought-after speaker, Megan talks about her research and economic concepts with a range of audiences, frequently speaking to community leaders, collaborative groups, land management agencies, and business groups. She is regularly quoted by major media outlets and has been interviewed multiple times on public radio, including on NPR’s Marketplace and All Things Considered. She was awarded a Wilburforce Fellowship in Conservation Science in 2016. Megan elevates Headwaters Economics’ work through her exceptional objectivity, her commitment to seeing issues from all sides, and her ability to cut through noise. Her degrees in economics and biology, with an emphasis on environmental, public, and urban economics, provide the foundation for her interdisciplinary approach. Megan has contributed to many of Headwaters Economics’ foundational research projects on topics ranging from land use conversion to migration trends.
Economic methods and data can engage diverse audiences and tell new stories to help cities make a case for climate adaptation.
Funding for Montana’s working lands, wildlife, and outdoor recreation is not keeping pace as population, visitation, and development pressures expand.
Public lands influence the economy, demographics, and fiscal policies of communities. Explore maps and county-level data for the 828 million acres of federal, state, and municipal land in the U.S.
Non-labor income can have an outsized effect on communities in the rural West with a large share of public lands.
Investing in outdoor recreation is one of several strategies that can help rural communities thrive in a changing economy.
Recreation counties, especially in non-metro places, draw new residents and have higher incomes and faster earnings growth than places without recreation.
Improving economic diversification and outdoor recreation in Bonner County will bring new spending and jobs to the community.
Outdoor recreation and the economic impact of Whitefish Trail use in Whitefish, Montana.
Updated: This report describes the benefits of a frontage path–a proposed paved, multi-use pathway connecting Belgrade and Bozeman along an approximately ten-mile stretch of U.S. Highway 10 in Gallatin County.
The economic challenges and opportunities in Taos County stem from being both a bustling mountain resort town, and a rural community facing long-term socioeconomic challenges.
Western counties are experiencing a wide disparity in youth migration. While some are attracting and keeping young adults and families, others are struggling.
Lack of access to a vehicle, poverty, and disabilities, can make evacuation difficult or impossible for some households.
Update: Rural counties in the West with more federal lands performed better on average than their peers with less federal lands in four key economic measures.
Six dam removal case studies on the fiscal, economic, environmental, and social benefits of dam removal.
In the Taos, New Mexico area trails are a fundamental part of health and quality of life, but differences in access to trails may limit the benefits for Hispanic and low-income residents.
Survey provides information on Bonner County’s trail system and will help prioritize improvements based on resident usage, satisfaction, reasons for living in the area.
Headwaters Economics has updated its Trails Library to include 105 studies on trails, searchable by benefit, use, year, and region.
Analysis shows that Bonner County’s economy has grown steadily and been resilient, despite recessions and losing several large employers, and many local businesses are committed to the community and its high quality of life.
County migration and population trends in the West constantly change. We summarize counties into four types–high-wage services, farm-dependent, oil and natural gas boom, and retirement destinations–to show the relationship between population and economic structure.
It’s All Hallow’s Eve, so we decided to look at western counties where the dead most recently were living. But a high death rate does not mean a county is faring poorly. Like most things, it’s complicated.
Due to new methods and pandemic disruption, the 2020 American Community Survey shows some decrease in accuracy for equity-related measures.
At least 1.2 million wood roofs are in areas with wildfire risk. Funding is needed to help communities prepare for wildfire.