The Community Economic Impacts of Large Wildfires: A Case Study from Trinity County,California |
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| Authors: | Emily Jane Davis Cassandra Moseley Max Nielsen-Pincus Pamela J Jakes |
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| Institution: | 1. Department of Forest Ecosystems and Society , Oregon State University , Corvallis , Oregon , USA;2. Institute for a Sustainable Environment , University of Oregon , Eugene , Oregon , USA;3. Department of Environmental Science and Management , Portland State University , Portland , Oregon , USA;4. USDA Forest Service–Northern Research Station , St. Paul , Minnesota , USA |
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| Abstract: | Wildfires are increasing in severity and frequency in the American West, but there is limited understanding of their economic effects at the community level. We conducted a case study of the impacts of large wildfires in 2008 in Trinity County, California, by examining labor market, suppression spending, and qualitative interview data. We found that the 2008 fires had interrelated effects on several economic sectors in the county. Labor market data indicated a decrease in total private-sector employment and wages and an increase in public-sector employment and wages during the summer of 2008 compared to the previous year, while interviews captured more nuanced impacts for individual businesses. |
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| Keywords: | economic impacts forest communities labor markets large wildfires suppression spending |
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