Wildfire Policy: Law and Economics Perspectives

"The incidence and cost of wildfires is increasing as the urban/forest interface has expanded. More and more, people want to live in or near forest lands, and as a result, are at greater risk from forest fires. In the US alone there are more than 70,000 wildfires annually, covering 6 million acres, and the federal government's annual budget for fire suppression is $1 billion. All of this suggests important issues of law, economics, property rights, risk assessment, investment incentives, political and bureaucratic agendas, and natural resource management. Yet, wildfires have received little systematic analysis from scholars until now. In Wildfire Policy: Law and Economics Perspectives, an outstanding group of scholars brings fresh and needed interdisciplinary research with policy implications to this important and growing phenomenon. This volume is a valuable contribution to the literature and I strongly recommend it." —Gary Libecap, University of California Santa Barbara "As the size and severity of wildfires continue to increase, finding a pathway to sustainable ecosystem management given current trends in climate and land use is a critical task. Wildfire Policy: Law and Economics Perspectives identifies a key set of controversial issues in fire economics, law and public policy." —Don Falk, University of Arizona "The publication of Wildfire Policy: Law and Economics Perspectives could not be more timely. This is particularly so in the western United States where decades of forest mismanagement have created unprecedented conditions for wildfire on a massive scale. Those seeking to restore the natural role of wildfire in forest and range ecosystems can learn much from this fine collection of essays." —James L. Huffman, Dean Emeritus Lewis & Clark Law School