She referenced a Headwaters Economics video describing how embers cause 90% of home destruction during wildfires. Wildfire Battalion Chief Scott Nielsen said the biggest generator of embers in a subdivision is a house itself.
To win federal grants, applicants conduct a cost-benefit analysis that needs to show flood projects save more money in the event of a storm than they cost to build, said Kristin Smith, an economics researcher at Headwaters Economics, a nonprofit that studies flood risk.
According to the 2020 Headwaters Economics study, “Economic Value and Impact of Local Food in Montana,” only 3% of the food consumed in Montana is grown here compared to 70% in 1900-1950.
According to the lawsuit’s analysis of data compiled by Headwaters Economics, more than half of the residential development that happened in Montana between 2000 and 2021 occurred outside of incorporated municipalities.
A recent report by the advocacy group Headwaters Economics detailed how heavy rains and flooding on many of the West’s 68,000 abandoned mines can leach toxic metals like arsenic into rivers and groundwater.
The Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety (IBHS) and Headwaters Economics recently paired up to estimate the added cost to meet California’s wildfire building standards and two standards developed by the institute itself – the Wildfire Prepared Home (WFPH) Base and WFPH Plus.
Nearly 87 percent of Grand County’s land is federally managed, according to a 2015 Headwaters Economics report. Decisions made in Washington directly shape what happens on the ground—from grazing leases and mineral exploration to restoration work and outdoor recreation access.
“It requires special construction that will reduce the chances of a building catching on fire,” said Ryan Handy, a land use planning specialist at Headwaters Economics. Handy’s organization is providing technical assistance to cities and counties adopting the code.
Megan Lawson, an economist who leads outdoors recreation and public lands research at the nonprofit Headwaters Economics, said raw tourism spending numbers in such “gateway communities” can be misleading.
It also highlights active partnerships between Kaua‘i County, Hawai‘i Wildfire Management Organization and Headwaters Economics coupled with the county’s commitment to education-first enforcement and the shared goal of protecting lives, homes and cultural landscapes around the island.
About half of the United States’ $1.2 trillion outdoor recreation economy is at risk from wildfire and flooding, Megan Lawson, an economist at Headwaters Economics told a gathering in Billings on Thursday.
Kimi Barrett of Headwaters Economics discusses how to keep your house from burning before the flames arrive.
Highlights of the active partnerships between Kaua‘i County, Hawai‘i Wildfire Management Organization and Headwaters Economics coupled with the county’s commitment to education-first enforcement and the shared goal of protecting lives, homes and cultural landscapes around the island.
“The vegetation is also very, very critical, because all vegetation will burn under enough duration and heat,” said Kimiko Barrett, lead wildfire researcher for Headwaters Economics, a nonprofit research group focused on community development.
As many are aware, the Ojai Valley confronts an unprecedented wildfire threat, ranking among the top 1% nationally and top 3% in California for wildfire risk according to Headwaters Economics.
In May of 2020, Headwaters Economics, an independent nonprofit research organization, published a report that explored the complex relationship between second homeownership and housing affordability.
Researcher and urban planner Ryan Handy of Headwater Economics talks about her new research on saving history from wildfire in this episode of Rebuild:LA.
As of January, 34% of grant funds had been awarded to low-capacity communities, compared to just 4% from FEMA’s Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities program, according to Headwaters Economics.
Analysis of official government statistics on outdoor recreation by Montana-based Headwaters Economics found that bicycling alone contributed $3.7 billion to U.S. GDP in 2023. That’s not counting the prodigious amount cyclists spend on the right outfit and fit-out, which would be part of the apparel and accessories category, No. 1 by far in terms of outdoor recreation GDP at $73 billion.
I moderated a live panel and an event called Free Press Fest, put on by Montana Free Press. There I talked with four experts about maybe the thorniest question about wildfire in the West: Fires are getting bigger and more destructive – but wildfire is part of our ecosystems – it’s here to stay. So, how do we live with it?
