— Investing in outdoor recreation is one of several strategies that can help rural communities thrive in a changing economy.
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Megan Lawson, Ph.D.
Local Studies
These reports focus on specific local or regional economies and opportunities to advance community and economic development priorities.
Recreation Counties Attract New Residents and Higher Incomes
— Recreation counties, especially in non-metro places, draw new residents and have higher incomes and faster earnings growth than places without recreation.
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Bureau of Land Management Socioeconomic Profiles
— Download socioeconomic reports for states and counties near Bureau of Land Management units.
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Montana’s Outdoor Recreation Economy
— A new report highlights the role of Montana’s outdoor recreation economy in spending, jobs, and economic diversification.
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Economic Diversification and Outdoor Recreation in Bonner County
— Improving economic diversification and outdoor recreation in Bonner County will bring new spending and jobs to the community.
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Best Practices for Watersheds and Recreation
— Best practices for balancing the needs for clean drinking water, recreation, and economic development in municipal watersheds.
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New Montana Homes Increase Wildfire Risks
— The number of western Montana homes in areas with high wildfire hazard has doubled, outpacing development rates in areas with low wildfire hazard.
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National Parks Economic Impacts
— Explore National Parks economic impacts from estimated visits, jobs, and labor income created by visitor spending in National Park Service lands.
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Economic Impact of National Parks
— This interactive and background materials show visits, spending, and the number of jobs created in gateway communities for every National Park Service unit.
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National Forest Socioeconomic Indicators
— Explore the socioeconomic conditions in communities surrounding our National Forests
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Gallatin County’s Economy, Growth, and Open Space
— This report summarizes Gallatin County's economy, how it has grown, and what is driving its performance. The report also describes how growth threatens open space and the role these lands play in local quality of life.
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Measuring Whitefish Trail Use
— Outdoor recreation and the economic impact of Whitefish Trail use in Whitefish, Montana.
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Montana Losing Open Space
— From 1990 to 2016, the number of single-family homes in Montana grew by 50 percent, and the popularity of large lots converted 1.3 million acres of undeveloped land to housing.
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Montana Losing Open Space: Sortable Data
— Review the different rates of home construction and loss of open space across Montana counties.
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Economic Challenges and Opportunities in Taos County
— The economic challenges and opportunities in Taos County stem from being both a bustling mountain resort town, and a rural community facing long-term socioeconomic challenges.
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Great Lakes Cities Vulnerability Assessment Tool
— Identify neighborhoods in six Great Lakes cities that meet socioeconomic vulnerability criteria.
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Lessons from the Timber Transition
— Western counties once dependent on timber today perform similarly to like-sized counties. Three case studies outline economic lessons from counties that weathered the timber transition.
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Megan Lawson, Ph.D.
Youth Migration in the West
— Western counties are experiencing a wide disparity in youth migration. While some are attracting and keeping young adults and families, others are struggling.
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Know Your Economy: Tools for Every Community
— Understanding your local economy and how it compares to peers is a crucial part of community and economic development.
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Patricia Gude
Which Counties Are Most Reliant on Medicaid?
— National interactive map and charts show Medicaid-dependent counties and populations at risk.
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Economy Surprisingly Dependent on Non-Labor Income
— Non-labor income sources such as investments, Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid often are the largest and fastest growing sources of personal income for many counties. Rural counties especially are surprisingly dependent on non-labor income.
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Rural Economic Development in Lincoln, Montana
— Many rural western towns face economic uncertainty. This report—informed by interviews and public meetings with residents—compares Lincoln to peer communities and outlines rural economic development options building on the town’s strengths.
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Comparing Trends and Prosperity in Gunnison County
— Explore socioeconomic trends in Gunnison County and neighboring Colorado counties.
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The Changing Role of Manufacturing in the U.S. and Insights for the Rural West
— Recent trends in manufacturing and what they mean for the people and communities of the American West, with insights for rural areas in particular.
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Measuring Prosperity in Gunnison County, Colorado
— This tool explores socioeconomic trends in Gunnison County, Colorado and compares them to neighboring counties and the state of Colorado.
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Dam Removal Case Studies
— Six dam removal case studies on the fiscal, economic, environmental, and social benefits of dam removal.
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Survey Finds Trails Valued Across Bonner County
— Survey provides information on Bonner County's trail system and will help prioritize improvements based on resident usage, satisfaction, reasons for living in the area.
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Planning for Montana’s Energy Transition
— While Montana is likely to experience relatively small impacts, coal-dependent communities in Eastern Montana are likely to feel the acute effects of job losses and declining tax revenue in the coming decades.
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Home Construction in the High Divide
— The High Divide region, recognized as one of the most intact biological areas in the lower 48 states, is attracting many new residents and home construction is changing the landscape.
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Bonner County, Idaho’s Resilient Economy
— Analysis shows that Bonner County’s economy has grown steadily and been resilient, despite recessions and losing several large employers, and many local businesses are committed to the community and its high quality of life.
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Economic Development Opportunities in Wheeler County, Oregon
— Like many rural counties in the West, Wheeler County faces economic difficulties. It also has untapped resources and opportunities, which suggest the possibility of a brighter economic future.
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The Economic Value of Public Lands in Grand County, Utah
— This updated report analyzes the economic value of public lands in Grand County, Utah and the important role that these lands play for local businesses and the well-being of the region’s economy.
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Economic Opportunities in the Blackfoot Watershed
— This report provides an overview of the Blackfoot River watershed’s economy and summarizes the findings from six focus groups that explored potential economic opportunities.
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The Tongass Transition Framework: A New Path Forward?
— This report examines whether the Tongass Transition Framework, which proposed a “new path forward,” is working to enhance economic opportunities in southeast Alaska while conserving the National Forest.
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The Economic Impacts of Restoration in Central Idaho
— This report provides a way to calculate the economic impacts of natural resource restoration activities to nearby communities that should be helpful to local officials, agency staff, and policy analysts.
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Owyhee Canyonlands Hold Economic Potential
— This report provides an initial analysis of the potential economic impact of protecting the Owyhee Canyonlands area in Malheur County, Oregon.
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Restoring the Clark Fork River
— Headwaters Economics worked with the Clark Fork Coalition, U.S. Forest Service, and others to create an interactive tool that describes many of the stories behind the ongoing recovery of the Clark Fork River.
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Reports Show Economic Potential of a New Maine National Park
— Headwaters Economics completed two reports on the economic costs and benefits of a possible new National Park and Recreation Area for Penobscot and Piscataquis Counties, Maine.
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Olympic Peninsula Economy and Potential Impact of Draft Wild Olympics Proposal
— Report on the economy of the Olympics Peninsula and impact of the Wild Olympics proposal.
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Carey, Idaho and Economic Recovery
— This report summarizes interviews with local government and business leaders on obstacles to and opportunities for local economic recovery in Carey, Idaho from the last recession.
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Improving Deschutes County’s Competitiveness
— The report analyzes the economic and fiscal challenges facing Deschutes County and provides recommendations to improve economic prospects.
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The Siskiyou Region: Demographic, Economic, and Fiscal Fundamentals
— The Siskiyou region is undergoing a significant economic transition. This report examines the region, counties within the region, and industry-level details.
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Clearwater Basin Collaborative
— The Clearwater Basin Collaborative is a diverse group of regional interests working together to craft a plan for the protection, use, and management of National Forest land within the Clearwater Basin in Idaho.
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Sitka, Alaska Workshop
— Headwaters Economics facilitated a day-long workshop on how to apply the Forest Service's new Integrated Resource Management approach on the Sitka Ranger District.
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Ranchland Ownership in Okanogan County, WA
— This report on land ownership and the ranching economy in the Okanogan Valley and Eastern Okanogan County focuses on fragmentation and turnover in large, agricultural properties and the effects of these trends.
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Sequoia National Forest Workshops
— Headwaters Economics held a public workshop for the Sequoia National Forest and the public.
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The Changing Economy of Southeast Alaska
— Headwaters Economics is working with the Tongass Futures Roundtable to better understand Southeast Alaska’s economy.
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High Divide Home Construction: 1900 – 2023
— Explore maps showing homes built in the High Divide from 1900 - 2013 plus a 2023 forecast.
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High Divide GIS Data
— Headwaters Economics developed historical and forecasted housing data for the High Divide based on county tax assessor records. Download GIS data showing 2013 home counts per Public Land Survey Section.
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The Economy of the Gila Region
— This report explores the question of whether and how rural, isolated communities can benefit from being gateways to large expanses of public lands.
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The Potential Economic Impacts of the Badlands Wilderness in Central Oregon
— This report explores whether and how designation of the Badlands as Wilderness would benefit the communities and economy of Central Oregon, including Deschutes, Crook and Jefferson counties.
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The Union Pacific Railroad Line, Timber and Southwest Montana
— This report examines the importance of southwest Montana timber to the Union Pacific Railroad line, and the significance of the railroad as a mode of transportation for timber-related manufacturers.
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Timber, Restoration Forestry and Wilderness in Northeast Washington
— This study reviews the possible impacts of the Northeast Washington Forestry Coalition's "Blueprint" proposal for managing National Forest lands in the region.
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Santa Fe National Forest Workshop
— The workshop involved the public in developing a new Forest Plan in light of the socioeconomic situation of the area and how it has changed since the last Forest Plan was adopted.
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