Pacific Southwest Research Station

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Research Paper

Title: Economic efficiency of fire management programs at six National Forests

Author: Schweitzer, Dennis L.; Andersen, Ernest V.; Mills, Thomas J.

Date: 1982

Source: Res. Paper PSW-RP-157. Berkeley, CA: Pacific Southwest Forest and Range Experiment Station, Forest Service. U.S. Department of Agriculture; 29 p

Station ID: RP-PSW-157

Description: Two components of fire management programs were analyzed at these Forests: Francis Marion (South Carolina), Huron-Manistee (Michigan), San Bernardino (California), Tonto (Arizona), and Deschutes and Willamette (Oregon). Initial attack and aviation operations were evaluated by the criterion of minimizing the program cost plus the net value change of resource outputs and structures resulting from fire (C + NVC). Four alternative program or budget levels were investigated at each Forest for each of 3 years of varying fire severity. The program levels ranged from 20 percent below the 1979 funding level to 40 percent above that level. The most economically efficient levels were - 20 percent at four Forests, +20 percent at one Forest, and + 40 percent at another Forest. Results suggested that increased fire year severity may not mean that a higher program level is more efficient. Commercial timber and structural losses contributed most to net value change. which was a small percent of the C + NYC in most of the years evaluated.

Key Words: fire economics, initial attack, aviation operations, fire suppression, marginal analysis, economic efficiency, risk

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Citation

Schweitzer, Dennis L.; Andersen, Ernest V.; Mills, Thomas J.  1982.  Economic efficiency of fire management programs at six National Forests  Res. Paper PSW-RP-157. Berkeley, CA: Pacific Southwest Forest and Range Experiment Station, Forest Service. U.S. Department of Agriculture; 29 p.