Megan is just back from Bend, Oregon where she presented at the High Desert Museum on how outdoor recreation opportunities can bring great benefits to communities, but can also pose great challenges for growth and affordability. It’s a paradox we call the Amenity Trap, and we have ideas about how to solve it.
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A look into the inner-workings of Headwaters Economics.
Miles City site visit
Our FloodWise program staff were recently in Miles City, MT to present an Operations and Financial Snapshot to the City Council as they seek new funding strategies for projects that can reduce flood risks. Miles City is a historic Montana town where the Tongue River meets the Yellowstone River and well worth the visit!
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1 month ago
Kris Smith, Ph.D.
Kris Smith, Ph.D.
Kristin “Kris” Smith, Ph.D., is the Lead Researcher for Headwaters Economics’ FloodWise Community Assistance program. Her research on hazards, natural resources, and rural economic development is informed by her on-the-ground work with local governments and technical experts helping communities reduce flood risk.
- Who gets federal disaster assistance? New county-level data offer a clearer picture
- Local funding options for disaster resilience
- Contribution The local economic implications of Lower Snake River dam removal
- News New York Moves Forward With a Brooklyn Flood Protection Plan That Falls Short of Other City Projects
- News New York Moves Forward With a Brooklyn Flood Protection Plan That Falls Short of Other City Projects
- Reclaiming abandoned mines can protect against harmful and costly flood disasters
- News Mapping Rural Local Government Capacity for Climate Resilience Projects in the United States
- How rural communities can ensure development projects deliver local benefits
- News Rural communities were promised millions in disaster funds. Trump is ending it
- Montana Community Foundation leverages data to reach more rural and Tribal communities
Resilience at the Council of State Governments meeting
On July 10 our executive director Patty Hernandez presented to 80 state legislators at the Council of State Governments West annual meeting on a wildfire resilience panel. Her top points: smaller communities especially need resources, technical assistance, and flexibility to protect homes from wildfire; updated codes and ordinances must be prioritized to make homes wildfire-resistant; and on-the-ground risk reduction can help rebalance insurance markets in a future of more frequent, intense wildfires.
Panelists also included Tyson Bertone-Riggs from Alliance for Wildfire Resilience and Eric Horn from Megafire Action.
3 months ago
Patricia Hernandez
Patricia Hernandez
Patty Hernandez is co-founder and Executive Director of Headwaters Economics. Patty has 18 years of experience in researching economic development, building partnerships, and developing technology solutions to help communities plan and adapt to a changing world.
- Contribution Additional benefits of wildfire-resistant homes
- Contribution The path to wildfire-resistant building codes in Colorado offers lessons for other states
- Building wildfire-resistant homes after disasters will save billions
- News Is your Montana home at risk from wildfire? These tools can help you find out
- Contribution Extreme heat is not just an urban threat: The risk to rural communities
- Contribution Community Wildfire Defense Grants benefit rural and low-capacity communities
- Contribution Cascading wildfire insurance issues impact local and state budgets
- Reinvesting in rural America
- News Wildfire mitigation, firefighting boosted by legislation, officials tell committee
- News More Americans are moving into areas with higher flood and fire risk
Colorado Wildfire Resiliency Cohort
CPAW helped 25 communities adopt Colorado’s Wildfire Resiliency Code. Headwaters Economics’ Ryan Handy shares the details on this program.
3 months ago
Ryan Maye Handy
Brent Powell
Ryan Maye Handy
Ryan is a wildfire and land use expert for the Community Planning Assistance for Wildfire program. Her experience as an urban planner and former journalist brings invaluable insights to communities that must prepare for increasing wildfire risks.
- News Washington still deadlocked on wildfire-proof building rules after 800 homes burned
- News Washington still deadlocked on wildfire-proof building rules after 800 homes burned
- News As wildfires get worse, some states are struggling to pass fire protection rules
- News The $1.4 Trillion Threat Hiding in American Neighborhoods
- Contribution Local funding options for disaster resilience
- Tracking Western states’ diverse approaches to wildfire building codes
- News Saving History from Wildfire with Headwater Economics’ Ryan Handy
- Protecting our Past: Wildfire Strategies for Historic Buildings
- Contribution Building wildfire-resistant homes after disasters will save billions
- Crossover landscaping can enhance wildfire resistance and save water
Brent Powell
Brent leads Headwaters Economics’ web and media development. Blending technical skills with creativity, he supports the team with website management, photography, videography, and graphic design.
- Contribution Additional benefits of wildfire-resistant homes
- Contribution Tracking Western states’ diverse approaches to wildfire building codes
- Contribution Future-proofing the outdoor recreation economy
- Contribution Reinvesting in rural America
- Contribution A rural capacity map
- Contribution Austin, Texas: Built for Wildfire
- Contribution The American Community Survey in our data tools
- Building for wildfire
- Contribution Mobile home residents face higher flood risk
- Contribution Innovative New Ways to Count Outdoor Recreation
Headwaters Economics at the 2026 Montana Rural Summit
Kris Smith is just back from 2026 Montana Rural Summit in Townsend where about 150 funders, elected officials, and service providers gathered to discuss the state of rural Montana. Kris and Dr. Julia Haggerty of Montana State University presented a draft of their State of Rural Montana report that drew extensive feedback and participation from attendees. Thank you MSU Extension for hosting!
4 months ago
Measuring outdoor recreation in Vermont
Headwaters Economics partnered with the State of Vermont to build an online dashboard that highlights the impacts of outdoor recreation across the state. The CORE Data Dashboard shows visitation patterns, spending profiles, and other research to help local leaders understand trends and direct investments.
4 months ago
Megan Lawson, Ph.D.
Megan Lawson, Ph.D.
Megan leads Headwaters Economics’ research in outdoor recreation, economic development, and demographics. She has more than 20 years’ experience as a quantitative economist analyzing policies and trends for communities, governments, and nonprofit organizations.
- The local economic implications of Lower Snake River dam removal
- News The outdoor recreation economy is worth $1.3 trillion. Trump’s cuts to National Parks could change that
- News Trump’s cuts to National Parks is a bad sign for the outdoor economy and rural economies
- The Outdoor Recreation Economy by State
- News In Case of Emergency
- News National Monuments Promote Stable Local Economies, Analysis Shows
- Economic performance of communities near national monuments
- News When disaster strikes: Outdoor recreation’s role in Montana’s wildfire, flood resilience
- Building disaster preparedness in the outdoor recreation economy
- News This Seattle summer is an economic bummer for water sports businesses
An updated Rural Capacity Index
Our Rural Capacity Index (RCI) just got a significant update. The tool measures how well communities are equipped to compete for funding and manage long-term infrastructure projects. New features include refined data, a search bar to find any community in the country, and state-level capacity ratings. The RCI is used by agencies, funders, and local leaders as they work to distribute resources and other assistance to places that need it most.
5 months ago
Bill Daigle
Tara Preston
Bill Daigle
Bill is Headwaters Economics’ lead software developer and programmer. With creative vision and skill, he designs, builds, and maintains the team’s data tools and data visualizations.
- Contribution Who gets federal disaster assistance? New county-level data offer a clearer picture
- Additional benefits of wildfire-resistant homes
- Contribution Tracking Western states’ diverse approaches to wildfire building codes
- Contribution Community Wildfire Defense Grants fill a critical gap for rural communities
- Contribution A rural capacity map
- Contribution The American Community Survey in our data tools
- Contribution Latinos face higher flood risks than other groups
Tara Preston
Tara collects, updates, and helps analyze the data that feed all of Headwaters Economics’ online socioeconomic tools and products. An insightful data engineer, she knows that good stories can be found in data.
- Contribution Local funding options for disaster resilience
- Contribution Lessons from 30 years of wildfire ignition data
- Contribution Community Wildfire Defense Grants fill a critical gap for rural communities
- Contribution Economic performance of communities near national monuments
- Contribution Reclaiming abandoned mines can protect against harmful and costly flood disasters
- Contribution National public lands are vital to local economies
- Contribution Extreme heat is not just an urban threat: The risk to rural communities
- Contribution Housing on public lands will be limited by wildfire risk and development challenges
- Contribution Community Wildfire Defense Grants benefit rural and low-capacity communities
- Contribution The economic future of outdoor recreation in New Mexico’s Cibola and McKinley counties
Thousands of structures are lost to wildfire
We have just updated our webpage that tracks the number of structures lost to wildfire in the United States. The latest figures show that wildfires have destroyed more than 132,400 homes, businesses, and other structures since 2005. Explore the data by state, most destructive fires, and more.
5 months ago
Scott Story
Scott Story
Scott is the team’s lead GIS analyst, database manager, and data engineer. He coordinates and updates the data behind all Headwaters Economics’ tools and data visualizations. He holds a Master’s degree in Biology from Montana State University.
- Contribution The Outdoor Recreation Economy by State
- Fieldnote Data update: Public land ownership of the United States
- Contribution Building wildfire-resistant homes after disasters will save billions
- Contribution Housing on public lands will be limited by wildfire risk and development challenges
- Contribution America’s urban wildfire crisis: More than 1,100 communities at risk
- Contribution Three trends showcase the strength of the outdoor recreation economy
- Contribution Economic Impact of National Parks
- Contribution Updates to Wildfire Risk to Communities reveal 115 million people living with high wildfire risk
- Contribution A rural capacity map
- Contribution The American Community Survey in our data tools
The Outdoor Recreation Economy by State
We have updated our webpage that tracks the size and growth of the outdoor recreation economy in every state with the latest data from the Bureau of Economic Analysis of the U.S. Department of Commerce. Explore charts and interactive graphics that show how much this $1.3 trillion sector contributes to each state’s GDP, job growth, and more.
6 months ago
The State of Disaster Recovery in Rural America
Last week, Headwaters Economics Executive Director Patty Hernandez moderated the plenary panel at The State of Disaster Recovery in Rural America: A Candid Expert Conversation, a convening hosted by Margaret A. Cargill Philanthropies, the Center for Disaster Philanthropy, and Headwaters Economics.
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6 months ago
Glendive considers $4.9 million levee bond to reduce flood risk and revive economy
Headwaters Economics’ FloodWise program has been a partner with the City of Glendive since 2021. This great coverage of the West Glendive levee project highlights the potentials and challenges for rural communities as they look to reduce flood risks:
Glendive considers $4.9 million levee bond to reduce flood risk and revive economy
KTVQ-TV (Billings, MT), March 10, 2026
Headwaters Economics presented with Montana Floodplain Program Ambassador award
Patty was at the Association of Montana Floodplain Managers annual meeting yesterday in Great Falls where she accepted the Floodplain Program Ambassador award in recognition of the work Kris, Bridget, and the rest of the FloodWise team have done supporting Glendive and Dawson County, Three Forks, Musselshell County, Livingston, Petroleum County, and Montana DNRC. Thanks to Tracy Sears, the State Community Assistance Program Coordinator, for her heartfelt words about what the partnership has meant to Montana communities. We’re proud of this program!
8 months ago
Bridget Mitchell, PE
Bridget Mitchell, PE
Bridget leads flood mitigation technical assistance at Headwaters Economics’ FloodWise Community Assistance program. She is a professional engineer with more than 20 years of experience working with communities to provide permitting, design, planning, and construction services.
Our CPAW team has been busy working across Colorado, Hawaii and other states refining their approaches to wildfire, but this month they were closer to home. Ryan Handy briefed the Montana Legislature’s Environmental Quality Council on wildfire risks. And just days later, Kimi Barrett shared insights on wildfire and insurance challenges with the Economic Affairs Committee. Smarter wildfire policy is taking shape.
9 months ago