Search

Search Results

• 1. [Article] Woody Biomass Use Trends, Barriers, and Strategies: Perspectives of US Forest Service Managers

  The use of woody biomass is being promoted across the United States as a means of increasing energy independence, mitigating climate change, and reducing the cost of hazardous fuels reduction treatments ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Woody Biomass Use Trends, Barriers, and Strategies: Perspectives of US Forest Service Managers Author: Sundstrom, Shiloh, Nielsen-Pincus, Max, Moseley, Cassandra, McCaffery, Sarah Year: 2012 The use of woody biomass is being promoted across the United States as a means of increasing energy independence, mitigating climate change, and reducing the cost of hazardous fuels reduction treatments and forest restoration projects. The opportunities and challenges for woody biomass use on the national forest system are unique. In addition to making woody biomass usage pencil out, national forest managers must also navigate substantial public engagement and forest planning processes that add to the complexity of fostering woody biomass use opportunities on the national forest system. We report on the results of a survey of US Forest Service managers and staff members (n = 339) about the trends in, barriers to, and strategies for fostering woody biomass use on national forests and their surrounding communities. The results highlight the economic and market challenges as well as the need for a basket of policies focused on a broad array of strategies for biomass use. Title: Woody Biomass Use Trends, Barriers, and Strategies: Perspectives of US Forest Service Managers Author: Sundstrom, Shiloh, Nielsen-Pincus, Max, Moseley, Cassandra, McCaffery, Sarah Year: 2012 The use of woody biomass is being promoted across the United States as a means of increasing energy independence, mitigating climate change, and reducing the cost of hazardous fuels reduction treatments and forest restoration projects. The opportunities and challenges for woody biomass use on the national forest system are unique. In addition to making woody biomass usage pencil out, national forest managers must also navigate substantial public engagement and forest planning processes that add to the complexity of fostering woody biomass use opportunities on the national forest system. We report on the results of a survey of US Forest Service managers and staff members (n = 339) about the trends in, barriers to, and strategies for fostering woody biomass use on national forests and their surrounding communities. The results highlight the economic and market challenges as well as the need for a basket of policies focused on a broad array of strategies for biomass use. Close

• 2. [Article] The Influence of Market Proximity on National Forest Hazardous Fuels Treatments

  The US Department of Agriculture Forest Service's focus on hazardous fuels reduction has increased since the adoption of the National Fire Plan in 2001. However, appropriations for hazardous fuels reduction ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: The Influence of Market Proximity on National Forest Hazardous Fuels Treatments Author: Nielsen-Pincus, Max, Charnley, Susan, Moseley, Cassandra Year: 2012 The US Department of Agriculture Forest Service's focus on hazardous fuels reduction has increased since the adoption of the National Fire Plan in 2001. However, appropriations for hazardous fuels reduction still lag behind wildfire suppression spending. Offsetting fuels treatment costs through biomass utilization or by using innovative administrative mechanisms such as stewardship contracting are two approaches to stretching appropriated dollars further across the landscape. We use fuels treatment data (n = 8,451 locations) to ask how wood- processing infrastructure influences where and how much hazardous fuels treatments, biomass utilization, and stewardship contracting occur on national forests in Oregon and Washington. We found that national forest ranger districts that are relatively close in proximity to sawmills or biomass facilities treated more overall ha and more wildland-urban interface ha and used stewardship contracting on more ha than ranger districts further away and that there was a threshold distance for these effects (40 minutes). We also found that proximity to sawmills and biomass facilities influenced the location and extent of hazardous fuels treatments that incorporated biomass utilization or were administered through a stewardship contract. Our analysis suggests that to be effective at offsetting some of the costs of hazardous fuels reduction and treat a greater extent of the landscape, policy strategies may need to focus on supporting a network of wood-processing facilities that is distributed across forest-based communities. Title: The Influence of Market Proximity on National Forest Hazardous Fuels Treatments Author: Nielsen-Pincus, Max, Charnley, Susan, Moseley, Cassandra Year: 2012 The US Department of Agriculture Forest Service's focus on hazardous fuels reduction has increased since the adoption of the National Fire Plan in 2001. However, appropriations for hazardous fuels reduction still lag behind wildfire suppression spending. Offsetting fuels treatment costs through biomass utilization or by using innovative administrative mechanisms such as stewardship contracting are two approaches to stretching appropriated dollars further across the landscape. We use fuels treatment data (n = 8,451 locations) to ask how wood- processing infrastructure influences where and how much hazardous fuels treatments, biomass utilization, and stewardship contracting occur on national forests in Oregon and Washington. We found that national forest ranger districts that are relatively close in proximity to sawmills or biomass facilities treated more overall ha and more wildland-urban interface ha and used stewardship contracting on more ha than ranger districts further away and that there was a threshold distance for these effects (40 minutes). We also found that proximity to sawmills and biomass facilities influenced the location and extent of hazardous fuels treatments that incorporated biomass utilization or were administered through a stewardship contract. Our analysis suggests that to be effective at offsetting some of the costs of hazardous fuels reduction and treat a greater extent of the landscape, policy strategies may need to focus on supporting a network of wood-processing facilities that is distributed across forest-based communities. Close

• 3. [Article] Wildfire Risk as a Socioecological Pathology

  Wildfire risk in temperate forests has become a nearly intractable problem that can be characterized as a socioecological “pathology”: that is, a set of complex and problematic interactions among social ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Wildfire Risk as a Socioecological Pathology Author: Fischer, A. Paige, Spies, Thomas A., Steelman, Toddi A., Moseley, Cassandra, Johnson, Bart R., Bailey, John D., Ager, Alan A., Bourgeron, Patrick, Charnley, Susan, Collins, Brandon M., Kline, Jeffrey D., Leahy, Jessica E., Littell, Jeremy S., Millington, James D. A., Nielsen-Pincus, Max, Olsen, Christine S., Paveglio, Travis B., Roos, Christopher I., Steen-Adams, Michelle M., Stevens, Forrest R., Vukomanovic, Jelena, White, Eric M., Bowman, David Year: 2016 Wildfire risk in temperate forests has become a nearly intractable problem that can be characterized as a socioecological “pathology”: that is, a set of complex and problematic interactions among social and ecological systems across multiple spatial and temporal scales. Assessments of wildfire risk could benefit from recognizing and accounting for these interactions in terms of socioecological systems, also known as coupled natural and human systems (CNHS). We characterize the primary social and ecological dimensions of the wildfire risk pathology, paying particular attention to the governance system around wildfire risk, and suggest strategies to mitigate the pathology through innovative planning approaches, analytical tools, and policies. We caution that even with a clear understanding of the problem and possible solutions, the system by which human actors govern fire-prone forests may evolve incrementally in imperfect ways and can be expected to resist change even as we learn better ways to manage CNHS. Title: Wildfire Risk as a Socioecological Pathology Author: Fischer, A. Paige, Spies, Thomas A., Steelman, Toddi A., Moseley, Cassandra, Johnson, Bart R., Bailey, John D., Ager, Alan A., Bourgeron, Patrick, Charnley, Susan, Collins, Brandon M., Kline, Jeffrey D., Leahy, Jessica E., Littell, Jeremy S., Millington, James D. A., Nielsen-Pincus, Max, Olsen, Christine S., Paveglio, Travis B., Roos, Christopher I., Steen-Adams, Michelle M., Stevens, Forrest R., Vukomanovic, Jelena, White, Eric M., Bowman, David Year: 2016 Wildfire risk in temperate forests has become a nearly intractable problem that can be characterized as a socioecological “pathology”: that is, a set of complex and problematic interactions among social and ecological systems across multiple spatial and temporal scales. Assessments of wildfire risk could benefit from recognizing and accounting for these interactions in terms of socioecological systems, also known as coupled natural and human systems (CNHS). We characterize the primary social and ecological dimensions of the wildfire risk pathology, paying particular attention to the governance system around wildfire risk, and suggest strategies to mitigate the pathology through innovative planning approaches, analytical tools, and policies. We caution that even with a clear understanding of the problem and possible solutions, the system by which human actors govern fire-prone forests may evolve incrementally in imperfect ways and can be expected to resist change even as we learn better ways to manage CNHS. Close

• 4. [Article] Job Growth and Loss Across Sectors and Time in the Western US: The Impact of Large Wildfires

  The link between economic growth and natural hazards has long been studied to better understand the effects of natural hazards on local, regional, and country level growth patterns. However, relatively ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Job Growth and Loss Across Sectors and Time in the Western US: The Impact of Large Wildfires Author: Nielsen-Pincus, Max, Moseley, Cassandra, Gebert, Krista Year: 2013 The link between economic growth and natural hazards has long been studied to better understand the effects of natural hazards on local, regional, and country level growth patterns. However, relatively little generalizable research has focused on wildfires, one of the most common forest disturbances in the western United States (US). We examined the effect of large wildfires on employment growth across sectors and time in the western US.We matched wildfire occurrences from 2004 to 2008 and their duration with monthly employment data to identify the effect of wildfire on employment growth. Wildfires generally tended to exhibit positive effects on employment during the periods that suppression efforts were active. However, the overall positive effect maskswinners and losers across sectors — such as natural resources and mining and leisure and hospitality, respectively. The overall positive effect then transitioned to a negative drag on local employment growth for a period of up to two years following the wildfire. We explore reasons why some sectors win while others lose and explanations for the lingering effects of a large wildfire on the economy as a whole. Title: Job Growth and Loss Across Sectors and Time in the Western US: The Impact of Large Wildfires Author: Nielsen-Pincus, Max, Moseley, Cassandra, Gebert, Krista Year: 2013 The link between economic growth and natural hazards has long been studied to better understand the effects of natural hazards on local, regional, and country level growth patterns. However, relatively little generalizable research has focused on wildfires, one of the most common forest disturbances in the western United States (US). We examined the effect of large wildfires on employment growth across sectors and time in the western US.We matched wildfire occurrences from 2004 to 2008 and their duration with monthly employment data to identify the effect of wildfire on employment growth. Wildfires generally tended to exhibit positive effects on employment during the periods that suppression efforts were active. However, the overall positive effect maskswinners and losers across sectors — such as natural resources and mining and leisure and hospitality, respectively. The overall positive effect then transitioned to a negative drag on local employment growth for a period of up to two years following the wildfire. We explore reasons why some sectors win while others lose and explanations for the lingering effects of a large wildfire on the economy as a whole. Close

• 5. [Article] The Effects of Large Wildfires on Employment and Wage Growth and Volatility in the Western United States

  We examined the effect of large wildfires on economic growth and volatility in the western United States. We matched wildfire data with quarterly employment and earnings growth data to assess the specific ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: The Effects of Large Wildfires on Employment and Wage Growth and Volatility in the Western United States Author: Nielsen-Pincus, Max, Moseley, Cassandra, Gebert, Krista Year: 2013 We examined the effect of large wildfires on economic growth and volatility in the western United States. We matched wildfire data with quarterly employment and earnings growth data to assess the specific effect of wildfire on employment and wage growth in western US counties. Wildfires generally tended to exhibit positive effects on employment and wage growth in the quarter(s) during which suppression efforts were active. However, this effect transitioned to increased economic volatility following a wildfire. The effect of wildfire also varied by the type of county in which wildfire occurred. The amount of suppression costs invested locally had the strongest influence on employment growth, indicating that there may be room for augmenting how local economies experience wildfire either through the development of community capacity or by addressing barriers to local spending in federal wildfire policy. Title: The Effects of Large Wildfires on Employment and Wage Growth and Volatility in the Western United States Author: Nielsen-Pincus, Max, Moseley, Cassandra, Gebert, Krista Year: 2013 We examined the effect of large wildfires on economic growth and volatility in the western United States. We matched wildfire data with quarterly employment and earnings growth data to assess the specific effect of wildfire on employment and wage growth in western US counties. Wildfires generally tended to exhibit positive effects on employment and wage growth in the quarter(s) during which suppression efforts were active. However, this effect transitioned to increased economic volatility following a wildfire. The effect of wildfire also varied by the type of county in which wildfire occurred. The amount of suppression costs invested locally had the strongest influence on employment growth, indicating that there may be room for augmenting how local economies experience wildfire either through the development of community capacity or by addressing barriers to local spending in federal wildfire policy. Close

• 6. [Article] The Community Economic Impacts of Large Wildfires: A Case Study from Trinity County, California

  Wildfires are increasing in severity and frequency in the American West, but there is limited understanding of their economic effects at the community level. We conducted a case study of the impacts of ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: The Community Economic Impacts of Large Wildfires: A Case Study from Trinity County, California Author: Davis, Emily Jane, Moseley, Cassandra, Nielsen-Pincus, Max, Jakes, Pamela J. Year: 2014 Wildfires are increasing in severity and frequency in the American West, but there is limited understanding of their economic effects at the community level. We conducted a case study of the impacts of large wildfires in 2008 in Trinity County, California, by examining labor market, suppression spending, and qualitative interview data. We found that the 2008 fires had interrelated effects on several economic sectors in the county. Labor market data indicated a decrease in total private-sector employment and wages and an increase in public-sector employment and wages during the summer of 2008 compared to the previous year, while interviews captured more nuanced impacts for individual businesses. Title: The Community Economic Impacts of Large Wildfires: A Case Study from Trinity County, California Author: Davis, Emily Jane, Moseley, Cassandra, Nielsen-Pincus, Max, Jakes, Pamela J. Year: 2014 Wildfires are increasing in severity and frequency in the American West, but there is limited understanding of their economic effects at the community level. We conducted a case study of the impacts of large wildfires in 2008 in Trinity County, California, by examining labor market, suppression spending, and qualitative interview data. We found that the 2008 fires had interrelated effects on several economic sectors in the county. Labor market data indicated a decrease in total private-sector employment and wages and an increase in public-sector employment and wages during the summer of 2008 compared to the previous year, while interviews captured more nuanced impacts for individual businesses. Close

• 7. [Article] Re-Envisioning Community-Wildfire Relations in the U.S. West as Adaptive Governance

  Prompted by a series of increasingly destructive, expensive, and highly visible wildfire crises in human communities across the globe, a robust body of scholarship has emerged to theorize, conceptualize, ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Re-Envisioning Community-Wildfire Relations in the U.S. West as Adaptive Governance Author: Abrams, Jesse B., Knapp, Melanie, Paveglio, Travis B., Ellison, Autumn, Moseley, Cassandra, Nielsen-Pincus, Max, Carroll, Matthew S. Year: 2015 Prompted by a series of increasingly destructive, expensive, and highly visible wildfire crises in human communities across the globe, a robust body of scholarship has emerged to theorize, conceptualize, and measure community-level resilience to wildfires. To date, however, insufficient consideration has been given to wildfire resilience as a process of adaptive governance mediated by institutions at multiple scales. Here we explore the possibilities for addressing this gap through an analysis of wildfire resilience among wildland-urban interface communities in the western region of the United States. We re-engage important but overlooked components of social-ecological system resilience by situating rural communities within their state-to national-level institutional contexts; we then analyze two communities in Nevada and New Mexico in terms of their institutional settings and responses to recent wildfire events. We frame our analysis around the concepts of scale matching, linking within and across scales, and institutional flexibility. Title: Re-Envisioning Community-Wildfire Relations in the U.S. West as Adaptive Governance Author: Abrams, Jesse B., Knapp, Melanie, Paveglio, Travis B., Ellison, Autumn, Moseley, Cassandra, Nielsen-Pincus, Max, Carroll, Matthew S. Year: 2015 Prompted by a series of increasingly destructive, expensive, and highly visible wildfire crises in human communities across the globe, a robust body of scholarship has emerged to theorize, conceptualize, and measure community-level resilience to wildfires. To date, however, insufficient consideration has been given to wildfire resilience as a process of adaptive governance mediated by institutions at multiple scales. Here we explore the possibilities for addressing this gap through an analysis of wildfire resilience among wildland-urban interface communities in the western region of the United States. We re-engage important but overlooked components of social-ecological system resilience by situating rural communities within their state-to national-level institutional contexts; we then analyze two communities in Nevada and New Mexico in terms of their institutional settings and responses to recent wildfire events. We frame our analysis around the concepts of scale matching, linking within and across scales, and institutional flexibility. Close