It’s well-established that prescribed fire and other fuel-reduction treatments can create significant ecological benefits and reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfire. Now, two new papers attempt to attach dollar figures to those impacts.
One of the studies found that over seven recent years, U.S. Forest Service projects helped communities avoid $2.8 billion in fire-related harm.
“For every dollar that the Forest Service spends, we find that the public saves $3.75 in property loss, smoke and health impacts from wildfire smoke and carbon emissions,” said Frederik Strabo, lead author on both of the papers…