Miles City site visit

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Featuring:

Kris Smith, Ph.D.

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!

1 month ago

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FieldNotes:

A look into the inner-workings of Headwaters Economics.

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

Colorado Wildfire Resiliency Cohort

CPAW helped 25 communities adopt Colorado’s Wildfire Resiliency Code. Headwaters Economics’ Ryan Handy shares the details on this program.

4 months ago Ryan Maye Handy

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!

5 months ago Kris Smith, Ph.D.

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.

5 months ago Megan Lawson, Ph.D.

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

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.

6 months ago Scott Story

Data charts of outdoor recreation economy

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.

7 months ago Scott Story

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.

(more…)

7 months ago Patricia Hernandez

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

8 months ago

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 Kris Smith, Ph.D.

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 Ryan Maye Handy

Closing out 2025

Everyone on the Headwaters Economics team was able to come together yesterday for our end-of-year celebration. Custom fanny packs (some of us called them “hip packs”) were gifted to all, but the real perk was reviewing all the research, briefings and outcomes for communities we were able to deliver this year. A great team = great results. We are ready to keep it up in 2026!

11 months ago