Wildfire and Poverty An Overview of the Interactions Among Wildfires, Fire-Related Programs, and Poverty in the Western States The Center for Watershed and Community Health Mark O. Hatfield School of Government Portland State University P.O. Box 751 Portland, Oregon 97207 503-725-8101 or 541-744-7072 E-Mail: [email protected] Website: www.upa.pdx.edu/CWCH/ Prepared for the CWCH by ECONorthwest 99 West Tenth Ave., Suite 400 Eugene, Oregon 97401 December 2001 BACKGROUND AND ACKNOWLEDGMENTS As we enter the new millennium, the citizens of the West face an increasing number of important challenges. An economic downturn has placed the economy, communities, and workers at risk. The events of September 11 dramatically increased concerns about personal safety and the security of our transportation systems, water resources, energy systems, food supplies, and other issues that were previously taken for granted. These issues have emerged at a time when our environment continues to be a concern. In Oregon, for example, the Oregon State of the Environment Report, released in September 2000 by the Oregon Progress Board, identified a number of environmental areas where Oregonians can expect continued problems under current policies and programs including: poor water quality, especially in urban and agricultural areas, inadequate water supplies, loss of wetlands, degraded riparian areas, depleted fish stocks, invasion of exotic species, diminished biodiversity, and waste and toxic releases. Similar problems exist throughout the West. All of these issues contribute to forest health problems which exacerbate the risks of wildfires to humans and the environment. How can we maintain and enhance our economic security and protect workers and communities while also conserving the environment? The way Western states answer this question may turn out to be one of the most important challenges facing the region for the next number of years. In the spring of 1999, The Center for Watershed and Community Health, an education and research institute affiliated with the Mark O. Hatfield School of Government at Portland State University (PSU CWCH), initiated a project to help decision makers throughout the region better understand the economic issues and facts associated with developing a more environmentally sustainable economy. The PSU CWCH provides accurate, objective, and easy- to-understand information about the potential costs and benefits associated with adopting policies and practices that can resolve pressing economic, social, and environmental problems and lead to a more environmentally efficient and sustainable economy. The PSU CWCH has developed collaborative research partnerships with a number of academic institutions across the West, provided grants to a number of leading economists, and completed its own research, to accomplish this goal. This is one in a series of reports to be produced as a result of this effort. The project is an integral part of PSU CWCH’s focus on developing new, more effective and efficient approaches to environmental governance and sustainable development. The CWCH gratefully acknowledges the financial support of the Ford Foundation for this project. This report was prepared by Ernie Niemi and Kristin Lee of ECONorthwest for The Center for Watershed and Community Health, Mark O. Hatfield School of Government Portland State University. Bob Doppelt, Director of the CWCH, provided editorial advice. The authors are solely responsible for the content. TABLE OF CONTENTS Page EXECUTIVE SUMMARY AND READER’S GUIDE ..................................... 1 SUMMARY OF MAJOR FINDINGS........................................................................... 1 SUMMARY OF MAJOR RECOMMENDATIONS....................................................... 2 WHO PREPARED THIS REPORT ............................................................................ 4 CHAPTER 1: WILDFIRES AND FIRE-RELATED PROGRAMS ................. 5 THE FIRES OF 2000 AND PREVIOUS DECADES................................................... 6 CAUSES OF WILDFIRES .................................................................................... 8 FOREST (AND NON-FOREST) FIRES................................................................ 9 OWNERSHIP OF BURNED ACREAGE............................................................. 10 NATURAL FIRE REGIMES ..................................................................................... 12 FIRE TRENDS AND OUTLOOK.............................................................................. 14 HISTORICAL TRENDS ...................................................................................... 14 BUILD-UP OF FUELS ........................................................................................ 16 POPULATION GROWTH ................................................................................... 17 RISK TO HOMES AND OTHER STRUCTURES................................................ 19 FIRE-RELATED PROGRAMS ................................................................................. 20 HISTORICAL PROGRAMS ................................................................................ 20 THE NATIONAL FIRE PLAN.............................................................................. 22 NATIONAL FIRE PLAN FOR 2001........................................................................... 22 LOOKING AHEAD ................................................................................................... 24 REFLECTIONS........................................................................................................ 25 CHAPTER 2: WILDFIRES AND POVERTY – OVERVIEW ....................... 29 WHAT DOES POVERTY MEAN IN THE CONTEXT OF WILDFIRES..................... 29 INCIDENCE OF POVERTY, IN THE CONTEXT OF WILDFIRE RISKS.................. 31 POVERTY AND THE WILDLAND-URBAN INTERFACE ................................... 31 RURAL POVERTY ............................................................................................. 33 POTENTIAL IMPACTS OF WILDFIRES AND FIRE-RELATED PROGRAMS ON POVERTY............................................................................................... 35 HEALTH IMPACTS.................................................................................................. 37 IMPACTS ON JOBS AND INCOMES....................................................................... 37 CHANGES IN THE ECONOMIC VALUE OF PROPERTY AND OTHER ASSESTS .......................................................................................................... 37 CHANGES IN THE COST OF LIVING...................................................................... 38 CHANGES IN CULTURAL, SOCIAL, AND SPIRITUAL VALUES.............................. 38 CONDITIONS THAT AGGRAVATE THE RISK TO POOR PEOPLE AND COMMUNITIES.................................................................................................. 39 INADEQUATE SELF-PROTECTION FOR HOUSING AND OTHER STRUCTURES .................................................................................................. 40 INFERIOR FIRE-PROTECTION SERVICES ............................................................ 41 GREATER CONCENTRATION OF ASSETS EXPOSED TO FIRE ........................... 41 POOR HEALTH AND LIMITED ACCESS TO HEALTHCARE................................... 42 ECONorthwest Wildfire and Poverty Page i LIMITED FINANCIAL RESILIENCE TO COPE WITH FIRE-RELATED DISRUPTIONS OF ECONOMIC ACTIVITY AND SOCIAL SERVICES................ 42 POTENTIAL IMPACTS OF POVERTY ON WILDFIRES AND FIRE-RELATED PROGRAMS...................................................................................................... 42 REFLECTIONS........................................................................................................ 44 CHAPTER 3: THE WILDFIRE INDUSTRY AND POVERTY ..................... 45 FIRE-SUPPRESSION PROGRAMS........................................................................ 45 FUEL-REDUCTION PROGRAMS........................................................................... 52 EMPLOYMENT IN THE WILDFIRE INDUSTRY...................................................... 53 EMPLOYMENT IN FIRE-SUPPRESSION PROGRAMS........................................... 53 EMPLOYMENT IN FIRE-PREVENTION PROGRAMS ............................................. 54 THE WILDFIRE INDUSTRY AND LOCAL COMMUNITIES ............................... 55 SHORT-RUN IMPACTS........................................................................................... 55 LONG-RUN IMPACTS............................................................................................. 55 REFLECTIONS........................................................................................................ 56 CHAPTER 4: CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS ................... 59 INTERACTIONS BETWEEN POVERTY AND WILDFIRES ARE COMMON IN THE WEST......................................................................................................... 60 FIRE-RELATED PROGRAMS DO NOT COST-EFFECTIVELY REDUCE RISKS FOR POOR PEOPLE AND COMMUNITIES...................................................... 61 RECOMMENDATIONS............................................................................................ 63 LONG-RUN GOALS ................................................................................................ 63 SHORT-RUN ACTIONS TO ADDRESS IMMEDIATE PROBLEMS........................... 66 A SUSTAINED STRATEGY TO ACCOMPLISH LONG-RUN GOALS ....................... 66 REFERENCES...........................................................................................