By Ray Rasker, Executive Director, Headwaters Economics— Fighting wildfires costs U.S. taxpayers $3 billion annually, more than twice what it cost a decade ago. Unfortunately, this expense is almost certain to continue to grow, and — unless action is taken — firefighting costs could at least double again in the next 15 years because of expanding residential development on fire-prone lands and increased temperatures associated with climate change.…
In an effort to curb the rising expense of fighting forest fires, Headwaters Economics has developed a report that outlines ten possible solutions, ranging from increased education to changes in insurance or mortgage laws.
The research white paper shows that we have the knowledge and solutions needed to address this problem, and the report, Solutions to the Rising Costs of Fighting Fires in the Wildland-Urban Interface, enjoys the support of former Director Kennedy and Dale Bosworth, former Chief of the Forest Service.…