Field
note:
wildfirerisk.org has new features for users with disabilities as well as upgraded navigation options. We also updated dashboards for the Forest Service’s Community Wildfire Defense Grants and the Department of Interior’s Slip-On Tanker Grants.
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A look into the inner-workings of Headwaters Economics.
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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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.
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.
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.
CPAW helped 25 communities adopt Colorado’s Wildfire Resiliency Code. Headwaters Economics’ Ryan Handy shares the details on this program.
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.
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.
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!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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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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
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!
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.
