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Media Coverage

Recent press coverage of research by Headwaters Economics.

 How small Kansas companies bring fast internet to rural places that telecom giants ignore

Published by KCUR on May 3, 2022

A new map from Headwaters Economics that measures “rural capacity” — an area’s ability to handle everything it takes to apply for and implement state or federal money — shows that several western Kansas counties, including Morton, Gove and Cheyenne, rank among the most limited in the nation.

Related research
  • A Rural Capacity Map

 Why rural communities struggle to bring in much-needed federal grants

Published by Grist on

“The point of this was to shed light on major barriers that exist for communities trying to plan and finance climate adaptation projects,” said Patty Hernandez, the executive director of Headwaters Economics. “For our team, it was really striking how widespread the problem is.”

Related research
  • A Rural Capacity Map
Marketplace

 Wildfires in April signal growing costs of climate change

Published by Marketplace on April 26, 2022

Barrett said most recovery costs are borne at the local level, by local homeowners, businesses and municipal government. Local governments can get out ahead of those costs by retrofitting buildings and infrastructure for fire resilience, she said. But that won’t come cheap, either. 

Related research
  • Full Community Costs of Wildfire
High Country News

 Why rural communities struggle to bring in much-needed federal grants

Published by High Country News on April 25, 2022

“These decisions are being made right now that will impact the ability of rural communities to access the dollars that are coming online.”

Related research
  • A Rural Capacity Map
Marketplace

 California’s wildfire building codes make newer homes less likely to burn

Published by Marketplace on April 1, 2022

“Retrofitting homes is going to be more expensive than building a home from the start,” said Kimiko Barrett, wildfire research and policy lead at the nonprofit Headwaters Economics. 

Related research
  • Building a Wildfire-Resistant Home: Codes and Costs

 Is National Park Status Always a Good Thing?

Published by Conde Nast Traveler on March 21, 2022

National park designation can both help—and hinder—our wild spaces.

Related research
  • Impact of National Monuments Redesignated National Parks
High Country News

 There are millions of acres of ‘failing’ rangelands, data shows

Published by High Country News on March 14, 2022

54 million acres of federal land managed by the Bureau of Land Management aren’t meeting the agency’s own land-health standards.

E&E News

 ‘Where help is most needed’: Index shows rural climate needs

Published by E&E News on March 10, 2022

“We wanted to create a map to show where help is most needed,” Hernandez said. “Rural communities are failing to compete with higher-capacity cities for funding and resources no matter the gravity of their situations.”

Related research
  • A Rural Capacity Map
Billings Gazette

 Montana land sales skyrocket to new highs in 2021

Published by Billings Gazette on March 2, 2022

As land prices have climbed, so have housing and rental costs. Headwaters said “communities across the country, in every state, are grappling with prices increasing at a rate not seen before, even during the housing bubble that led to the Great Recession.”

Related research
  • Housing costs broke records across the U.S.
Marketplace

 New data indicated some rural communities that could be left behind in the infrastructure bill

Published by Marketplace on February 21, 2022

Some new data indicated some rural communities that could be left behind in the infrastructure bill.

Related research
  • A Rural Capacity Map

 Colorado doesn’t have a statewide fire-resistant construction requirement. In the Marshall fire’s wake, critics say it’s time.

Published by Colorado Sun on February 16, 2022

New homes that meet wildfire-resistant codes can be constructed for roughly the same cost as a typical home and have additional benefits, such as a longer lifecycle and less maintenance, according to a 2018 report from the Montana-based research group Headwaters Economics. 

Related research
  • Building a Wildfire-Resistant Home: Codes and Costs
Public News Service logo

 Study: Rural Communities Could Struggle to Access Infrastructure Dollars

Published by Public News Service on February 14, 2022

The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act passed by Congress is directing a historic amount of funds to climate resilience. But some rural communities risk being left behind on these investments.

Related research
  • A Rural Capacity Map

 Mountain towns across the West are facing a housing crisis. Can the Methow break the mold?

Published by Seattle Times on February 12, 2022

“Recreation destinations on average have seen larger price increases than nonrecreation destinations,” said Megan Lawson, a housing economist with Bozeman, Montana’s Headwaters Economics, which studies the West. 

Related research
  • Recreation Counties Attract New Residents and Higher Incomes
  • Housing in recreation-dependent counties is less affordable
Marketplace

 Inflation hits harder in rural areas

Published by Marketplace on February 9, 2022

The CPI captures how much consumers in urban areas spend on goods and services, with the key word being “urban.” It misses some of the nuance of rural life, according to Megan Lawson with Headwaters Economics.  

The Hill

 Free online tool identifies climate risks in every community and county in the US

Published by The Hill on

Neighborhoods at Risk is a free online tool that allows anyone to search what their hometown’s climate change risks are.

Related research
  • Neighborhoods at Risk: About

 Free online tool identifies climate risks in your neighborhood

Published by Yale Climate Connections on February 8, 2022

‘Neighborhoods at Risk’ helps you learn about potential flooding, heat waves, and other threats to your community.

Related research
  • Neighborhoods at Risk: About
Deseret News

 What ski towns tell us about the inequality crisis

Published by Deseret News on February 7, 2022

In her research, Lawson has found that across the West people are moving to counties with recreation opportunities more quickly than to other places — and there’s faster job growth in those towns. But if you pull apart the numbers there is darkness there. Abundant growth doesn’t always lead to equitable growth.

Related research
  • Recreation Counties Attract New Residents and Higher Incomes
  • Housing in recreation-dependent counties is less affordable
  • Housing costs broke records across the U.S.
  • Unaffordability for renters made worse during the pandemic

 Rural Western communities lack resources to fight climate change

Published by KUNR on

Communities across the nation are vying for funds from the $1 trillion federal infrastructure package. Some of that money is designed to address wildfire, drought, floods and other climate-induced crises, but many small rural communities in our region lack the tools to get that money, like planning departments, broadband access, and civic engagement. 

Related research
  • A Rural Capacity Map

 The Custer Gallatin National Forest’s new guiding doc

Published by Montana Free Press on February 4, 2022

The Forest Service unveils its final forest plan for one of the country’s most ecologically, economically and culturally diverse national forests.

Related research
  • Measuring Trail Use in Montana’s Bridger Mountains

 Resilience work expands as definition and dollars do, too

Published by Smart Cities Dive on January 31, 2022

“At the end of the day, being able to plan proactively and do resilience planning is a privilege. Most communities do not have the resources.”

Related research
  • A Rural Capacity Map
  • Mountain, Midwest, and Gulf States Fail to Secure FEMA Resilience Funding
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