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…”Only about 2 percent of these (naturally-ignited) fires are allowed to burn now, and the main reason is there are homes in the way,” says Ray Rasker, executive director of Headwaters Economics. “So we can’t even implement the policies we have, our fuel build-up situation is getting worse, and we’re getting more and more homes in harm’s way.…

The federal and state agencies that will pick up the bulk of the firefighting tab aren’t the ones allowing development — nor can they dictate to municipalities how they should go about their business.

“There isn’t a Forest Service or BLM person who publicly wants to talk about that,” says Headwaters Economics’ Rasker. “There’s something sacrosanct about private land that you can’t talk about.” And county commissioners? “The last thing they want to do is talk about their fair share of the cost.

“If more of the cost (of fire suppression) were borne by those who make the decisions to build, we’d see a very different pattern of development around the West.”… (more…)

The independent think tank Headwaters Economics has released a report on the best fiscal practices for states and local governments with oil and natural gas extraction. The report states, “Drilling for oil and natural gas is a high-impact economic activity that presents opportunities and challenges for state and local governments seeking to reconcile the benefits of job and revenue growth with the impacts of rapid industrialization and population growth. The rush to develop unconventional oil and natural gas resources–underway in many parts of the nation and on the horizon in others–requires more wells compared to conventional oil and natural gas, meaning higher costs, more jobs, and greater impacts to extract an equivalent amount of oil or natural gas.”

The report goes on to outline many of the challenges faced by states with rapid natural gas development, some of which we are experiencing here in West Virginia. The report also addresses some fiscal policies that can help states like West Virginia address those challenges.… (more…)

By Mark Udall, Colorado’s senior senator and member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee— From the grasslands of the Eastern Plains to the crimson cliffs of the Western Slope, Colorado’s public lands and natural splendor forms the foundation for our quality of life. For many of us, these natural features and scenic landscapes are why we have chosen to live and do business in Colorado.

Our parks, forests and public lands also form the bedrock for much of our economy, drawing tourists to Colorado and the Rocky Mountain West from across the nation and around the world.

A recent study by the Montana-based think tank, Headwaters Economics, showed that from 2000 to 2012, Colorado created more than 228,000 jobs in large part due to our natural resources and open spaces.… (more…)

…Mark Haggerty [of Headwaters Economics outlined] the condition of the economy throughout the state, explaining that the perception from the outside is that it consists of wheat, oil, timber, mining and cattle industries. But according to a recent poll commissioned by conservation groups, nearly 89 percent of Montana residents believe farming and ranching to be the most important sector in Montana’s economy, Haggerty said.

While the value of farming and ranching cannot be understated, Haggerty said that health care has in fact been the fastest growing industry in the state, followed by tourism and retail, and a close evaluation of these industries reveals interesting trends in economic growth.…

“We’ve done a lot of statistical analysis, and you can see that counties that more than 30 percent of their land base not just in public lands but protected public lands grew at a much faster rate than counties that did not have protected public lands within their boundaries,” said Haggerty. “Public lands and our quality of life are a huge asset.”… (more…)

…The mineral extraction and tourism industries have driven a wedge between “Old Moab” and “New Moab”, according to Ken Davey, an economic development specialist for the city. Old Moab feels loyalty toward the extractive industries that brought jobs to the area in the past. New Moab is generally made-up of newcomers drawn to the area’s expansive wilderness, and those who make their living in the tourism industry. “There are extremes in both camps, but most people are in the middle,” says Davey.

Today, the two industries each contribute toward the economic well being of the region, but in different ways. A 2011 study by Headwaters Economics shows that tourism and recreation account for 44% of private employment in Grand County [Utah], while drilling and mining represent 3%… (more…)

…An April Headwaters Economics Report [said] North Dakota’s fiscal policy is “unprepared” for the oil boom and that the state “stands out among its peers for providing the least direct funding for oil-impacted communities,” according to summary findings within the report.

Local governments in Colorado receive 63 percent directly; in Montana, 39 percent; and in Wyoming, 35 percent, the report found.

“Leaving impact assistance to the discretion of state legislatures is not a responsible approach to managing an energy boom,” the report summarized. Headwaters Economics is an independent, nonpartisan research group based in Bozeman, Mont.… (more…)

A new economic report touts the potential of one of the country’s most picturesque landscapes — the Rocky Mountain Front west of Great Falls — to draw people and jobs to the region.

“The more funny colors you have on the map, the more likely you are to get attention,” says Chris Mehl of Bozeman-based Headwaters Economics, referring to colors on maps that denote protected areas.

The Coalition to Protect the Rocky Mountain Front hired Headwaters to complete the study after U.S. Sen. Max Baucus of Montana introduced the Rocky Mountain Front Heritage Act last year. The act would provide additional protections for 275,112 acres of federals lands.… (more…)

…Vicky Steiner, executive director of the organization, said if western communities don’t get their share of oil tax revenue, residents will be forced to pay higher taxes to support the growth.

“We don’t want to see the burden rise on the taxpayers in the west,” said Steiner, who also is a Republican legislator from Dickinson.

An analysis by Headwaters Economics showed that North Dakota stands out among its peers for providing the least direct funding for oil-impacted communities. North Dakota governments received directly 8 percent of the total state revenue from oil and natural gas in fiscal year 2011, and about 11 percent for 2012-13, the report said… (more…)

…The Mountain West boasts nearly unlimited renewable energy resources and these nonhydro projects, either under construction or in advanced development, represent 71,872 jobs. A study by Headwaters Economics found that from 1970–2010, nonmetropolitan counties in the West that had more than 30 percent protected federal lands increased jobs by 345 percent. Nonmetropolitan counties with no protected federal lands saw just 83 percent growth.… (more…)

…An analysis by Headwaters Economics showed that North Dakota stands out among its peers for providing the least direct funding for oil-impacted communities. North Dakota governments received directly 8 percent of the total state revenue from oil and natural gas in fiscal year 2011, and about 11 percent for 2012-13, the report said.… (more…)

Guest column by Chris Mehl, Headwaters Economics— …Headwaters Economics recently completed a study of the Rocky Mountain Front region — Cascade, Lewis and Clark, and Teton counties — reviewing the area’s performance, how its economy is changing, and the potential impact of proposals such as the Heritage Act which would protect public land and traditional uses along the Front.

We found the Front’s economy well-positioned for future economic performance. The region has experienced stable long-term growth during recent decades, especially compared to many other parts of Montana, the area has avoided major employment swings associated with national recessions, and today has below average unemployment…

The spectacular public lands of the Rocky Mountain Front give the region a natural competitive advantage that aids the local economy, but that’s not the whole picture. For the longer term, the Front region has assets other communities the West lack; such as transportation hubs, relatively strong per capita income, high quality of life, affordability and overall stability. How the Front region combines these advantages will play a large role in determining the area’s future economic growth and prosperity. (more…)

…Created in 2005, the developers of Headwaters Economics were frustrated by the lack of reliable information on vital Western land use topics, particularly growth and development, and the changing economic role of our public lands.

As an independent research organization, their mission is to improve community development and land management decisions in the West. Most recently, they have conducted research delving into the potential for futuredevelopment on fire prone lands and the implications this growth will have on future firefighting costs.

With 20 combined years of experience, the staff of six and board of five, blend research and field experience working with communities, businesses, landowners, public land managers and elected officials.… (more…)

…Sportsmen know some of the best hunting can be found in rugged and unroaded areas. Places like the West Big Hole, the Sapphires and the Pioneers are rife with lore about some old bull that’s still out there. We rely on these places not only to fill our freezers each fall, but also as the fabric for our way of life here in Montana.

And these secure areas are economically important too. A recent analysis by Headwaters economics showed that hunter expenditures in the Beaverhead-Deerlodge forest alone increased by $5 million between 2006 and 2011. You can’t separate high-quality habitat from hunting opportunity or hunting opportunity from our economy: they’re all intertwined… (more…)

…Some suggest sending the firefighting bill to the counties and cities that let people build houses in fire zones, or allow developers to design subdivisions with little consideration to potential flammability. Headwaters Economics, a research firm in Bozeman, Mont., suggests considering cost-sharing agreements between agencies and local government, zoning limitations, purchase of land or easements in fire-prone areas, raising insurance rates in fire zones, or eliminating mortgage interest deductions for new homes in the fringes. We might even reduce federal firefighting budgets to force more costs onto local agencies. These are among possible solutions, none necessarily advocated, but they all would force the firefighting costs closer to the people who make the land-use decisions… (more…)

…However they’re defined, green jobs have grown over the past few years. And that has predictably piqued interest from economists and government, said Julia Haggerty, an analyst who has evaluated green job counts for Headwaters Economics, based in Montana.

“It may seem like there’s a lot of attention, but that would probably also be true if we were talking about biotech 15 years ago, or any other nascent part of the economy that’s seen rapid growth,” Haggerty said. One of the major reasons governments want to track green jobs is to validate or inform policies that affect the industry, she said… (more…)

…Working with Montana-based Headwaters Economics, The Rural West Initiative has published a comprehensive multimedia report, combining a rigorous economic and policy analysis with a 31-minute interactive video documentary called “An Unquiet Landscape: The American West’s New Energy Frontier.”

The video feature looks at three rural western communities at different stages of the process of energy development: North Dakota, where a recent drilling frenzy has pushed it to the third-highest oil production in the U.S.; western Wyoming, where residents are coping with air pollution and habitat destruction after a decade of oil and gas exploration; and eastern Wyoming, where residents of one of the state’s poorest communities pin their hopes on a boom on the local Niobrara formation.… (more…)

…Across the country, from Bozeman, Mont., to Burlington, Vt., many towns offer outdoor recreation and beautiful scenery. Many of them are investing in parks and trails for the same reason Duluth is.

Ray Rasker, director of Headwaters Economics in Bozeman, said such communities want talented workforces. But their larger aim, he said, is to lure “footloose entrepreneurs.”

In the digital age, he said, entrepreneurs can build a business wherever they want — as long as the talent is there.

“So there’s this competition to try and create an attractive place to live,” Rasker said. “That’s how you attract a really talented workforce. And that’s what you need to succeed in a global economy.”…

(more…)

…A number of studies by Headwaters Economics have documented post-designation job and personal income growth in communities near new national monuments. Across the country, protected public lands draw millions of visitors each year and are vital to our nation’s $646 billion outdoor recreation economy, which supports over 6 million jobs… (more…)

…A new report by a Bozeman-based economic analysis firm says that communities along the Rocky Mountain Front have seen slow, steady growth with per-capita income and average earnings per job being 10 to 15 percent greater than elsewhere in Montana [“Montana’s Rocky Mountain Front”].

The research paper by Headwaters Economics — which was commissioned by the Coalition to Protect the Rocky Mountain Front — also says future income and job growth can be experienced if residents and businesses take steps to preserve their natural resources.

Chris Mehl, policy director for Headwaters, said that with telecommuting capabilities, many people can live just about anywhere they like, and many of those are flocking to areas where public lands create wide, open spaces. He added that as the baby boomers age, more and more are retiring to Western states.

“We’re seeing people making location decisions based on the quality of life as well as on jobs,” Mehl said. “We found that higher protection of lands means greater populations and jobs.”… (more…)

…Public lands are an asset and an investment for the future in Lewis and Clark, Cascade and Teton counties. That’s one of the conclusions of a new economic report on the Rocky Mountain Front region that was presented Wednesday to the Helena Chamber of Commerce.

Headwaters Economics policy director Chris Mehl, who prepared the results, says the region has seen slow and steady growth and has potential for much more across all sectors if natural assets – such as public lands – are leveraged.

“So, everything from health care and technology and services to also agriculture – to things like hunting and fishing and the outdoor-recreation economy.”

Mehl says public lands on the Front are connected to more than 10,000 tourism and recreation jobs – jobs that mostly stayed intact even through the recession.… (more…)