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Construction costs for a wildfire-resistant home: California edition
In light of rising wildfire risks, we analyzed the costs of constructing homes to three levels of wildfire resistance in California.
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Wood roofs are a $6 billion wildfire problem
At least 1.2 million wood roofs are in areas with wildfire risk. Funding is needed to help communities prepare for wildfire.
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Local revenue to fund long-term infrastructure costs
Communities need resilient revenue strategies to fund the long-term costs of capital improvements and infrastructure.
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The economic potential of the Great American Rail-Trail
Through 12 states and the District of Columbia, the Great American Rail-Trail® will attract 25.6 million trips and generate more than $229.4 million in spending.
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Mobile home residents face higher flood risk
Mobile homes are the most common unsubsidized, affordable housing in the United States but have disproportionately higher flood risk than other housing types.
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Measuring trail use in Montana’s Bridger mountains
Detailed estimates of summer trail use help show the impacts of growing recreational use and highlight infrastructure needs in southwest Montana.
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Improving benefit-cost analyses for rural areas
Benefit-cost analysis, required for many federal funding sources, puts smaller, rural, and low-income communities at a disadvantage.
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Housing costs broke records across the U.S.
Unaffordable housing came to a head during the pandemic as communities across the country saw unprecedented rises in housing costs.
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Unaffordability for renters made worse during the pandemic
The unprecedented rise in housing prices since 2020 has affected renters more than homeowners—especially in places that were already unaffordable.
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The unequal impacts of wildfire
See where wildfire risk intersects social and economic factors that can make it difficult for people to prepare for, respond to, and recover from wildfire.
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Diversifying revenue on New Mexico state trust lands
New activities can help guarantee and diversify future revenue from New Mexico state trust lands, complementing the successful Land Grant Permanent Fund.
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Mountain, Midwest, and Gulf States fail to secure FEMA resilience funding
Rural and lower capacity communities failed to successfully compete for FEMA Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) funding in FY 2020.
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Federal Fossil Fuel Disbursements to States
States tend to spend, rather than save, federal fossil fuel disbursements, potentially making them vulnerable to economic transitions.
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The Future of the Outdoor Recreation Economy
The outdoor recreation economy is strong, diverse, and growing, helping communities thrive.
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Living with wildfire
Watch “Living with wildfire.” Wildfires are an inescapable and necessary function of healthy ecosystems. In the past decade they have increased in severity and duration, killed more people, and burned more structures.
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National monuments can boost local economies
Recent studies find that national monument designations do not negatively impact local economic performance, and in many cases strengthen local economies.
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How state and local budgets are vulnerable to climate change
Climate change has the potential to destabilize general operating budgets and constrain access to lending markets. These presentations share promising solutions for “climate-proofing” budgets.
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Innovative New Ways to Count Outdoor Recreation
New data sources can change the way we count outdoor recreation, allowing trail managers to better advocate for improvements and plan for growing demand.
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Wildland-Urban Interface: The Problem, Trends, & Solutions (slides)
Slide show: The wildland-urban interface is growing and wildfires are causing cause more damage. Land use planning is an important solution.
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Why fiscal policy solutions are necessary
This panel discussion, with examples from Montana and New Mexico, examines how fiscal policies have failed rural communities.
