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.
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.
Protected federal lands (such as Wilderness or National Parks) not only preserve unique landscapes, but have the potential to attract in-migrants such as baby boomers, which in turn help support a robust local economy.
Non-labor income is one of the largest and fastest growing sources of income in the West; constituting 34 percent of total personal income in 2011 and 60 percent of net growth in real personal income during the last decade.
Seventy percent of rural communities with high economic output are losing population, but rural leaders can use Community Benefit Agreements to ensure development leads to lasting local value.
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.
Megan Lawson, an economist specializing in outdoor recreation and public lands at Headwaters Economics, agrees. “When prices get more expensive, people might be tightening their budgets and traveling a little less,” Lawson said.
“Montana’s been top three in these categories for more than a decade,” said Megan Lawson, an economist with Headwaters Economics. “That speaks to the size and stability of the outdoor recreation economy in Montana. This isn’t a flash in the pan due to the pandemic.”
Worker wages in Montana have been stagnant for decades, said Megan Lawson with the independent research group Headwaters Economics in Bozeman. Income from stocks, real estate and other investments has risen sharply, reflecting the changing — and wealthier — demographic.
“Certainly a large share of it is coming from folks who are moving into this state,” Lawson said. “When you put all this together it helps to explain the story of the political shift.”
Some experts warn that failing to place specific designations or deed restrictions to ensure that the parcels include housing for middle- and low-income residents will only result in land being turned into luxury or vacation homes that don’t address the housing or affordability issue.
“I think it would be quite unwise to not have some sort of deed restrictions on those properties,” said Megan Lawson, an economist at Bozeman, Montana-based Headwaters Economics.
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.