An article published in the May 7 edition of Science that was co-authored by a Washington and Lee University professor shows how effective fuel treatments can be in fighting wildfires.
The article, “Wildfire Damages and the Cost-Effective Role of Forest Fuel Treatments,” was co-written by Cal Bryan, assistant professor of economics at W&L, with Frederik Strabo and Matthew Reimer, both from the University of California, Davis.
Fuel treatments are best described as land management practices designed to reduce the amount of flammable vegetation in a forest or wildland area. The authors used data on fuel treatments as well as data on wildfires, suppression efforts and damages across the Western U.S. to assess the costeffectiveness of fuel treatments.
They contend that the use of fuel treatments remains underutilized because of a lack of evidence documenting their economic value. Through their research, Bryan and his colleagues found that fuel treatments reduced wildfire spread and severity, avoiding an estimated $2.8 billion in damages. The researchers concluded that every dollar invested in fuel treatments yields $3.73 in expected benefits, demonstrating the value of fuel treatments and offering guidance for maximizing effectiveness.
Bryan is in his first year as a member of the W&L faculty after earning a doctor of philosophy degree in natural resource economics and serving as a postdoctoral researcher at Colorado State University. Prior to Colorado State, he spent more than three years with the U.S. Forest Service as a recreation technician and interpretive ranger, earning Type 2 wildland firefighter certification and assisting with several large wildland fires across multiple states.
Bryan’s research and teaching are focused on sustainable natural resource management and behavioral responses to climate change.
The article can be found at https://www.science.org/ doi/10.1126/science.aea6463.
