A group of the Human Dimensions Program
Wildfire Management and Incentives
People respond to incentives, and within a bureaucracy budgets are a powerful incentive. We consider the role that budget policy plays in the wildfire suppression efforts of federal land management agencies. That role has been one of encouraging suppression of wildfires and discouraging consideration of the beneficial effects of wildfire. The policy is costly not only to current tax payers; it also shifts a considerable burden to the future. We discuss changes to budget policy that would help to both contain suppression costs and recognize the natural place of wildfire in many forest ecosystems.
Selected Publications
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- Donovon , Geoffrey H. and Thomas C. Brown. 2007. Be careful what you wish for: the legacy of Smokey Bear. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment 5(2):73-79.
(478 KB PDF file)
- Donovan, G. H. and Brown, T. C. (2005). An Alternative Incentive Structure for Wildfire Management on National Forest Land. Forest Science 51(5): 387-395.
Article Summary
- Donovan, G. H. and Brown, T. (2005). Wildfire Management in the U.S. Forest Service: A Brief History. In Natural Hazards Observer 29(6) (July 2005): 1-3.
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