Valuing socio-economic and ecological attributes of forested watershed restoration to reduce wildfire risk in the southwestern U.S.
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Abstract
Forest restoration in a watershed can provide numerous ecological improvements and social benefits, including reducing the risk of extreme wildfire. Understanding the values of the accrued benefits can be used to evaluate the use of funds to support restoration. The Rio Grande watershed is a vast watershed covering approximately 335,000 mile2 (867,646 km2). The Rio Grande watershed provides a host of ecosystem services and recreation opportunities and supports municipal water supplies. We estimate the non-market values of forest restoration in the Rio Grande watershed using a choice experiment (CE) approach. While the ecological benefits are established in literature, we focus on the social characteristics, capturing the human-forest system in a comprehensive manner. Our results indicate a significant willingness to pay (WTP) for improving air quality, reducing private property damage, and creating local jobs, with the highest WTP for job creation. Split-sample analysis indicates respondents residing within the watershed highly value the socio-economic attributes of the restoration, while ecological attributes are preferred more outside of the watershed. Our results provide insights into the benefits of multi-dimensional services from forest restoration activities in a watershed.
Suggested Citation
Rahman, M.M., Meldrum, J.R., Mueller, J.M., and Huber, C., 2026, Valuing socio-economic and ecological attributes of forested watershed restoration to reduce wildfire risk in the southwestern U.S.: Forest Policy and Economics, v. 186, 103754, 12 p., https://doi.org/10.1016/j.forpol.2026.103754.
Study Area
| Publication type | Article |
|---|---|
| Publication Subtype | Journal Article |
| Title | Valuing socio-economic and ecological attributes of forested watershed restoration to reduce wildfire risk in the southwestern U.S. |
| Series title | Forest Policy and Economics |
| DOI | 10.1016/j.forpol.2026.103754 |
| Volume | 186 |
| Year Published | 2026 |
| Language | English |
| Publisher | Elsevier |
| Contributing office(s) | Fort Collins Science Center |
| Description | 103754, 12 p. |
| Country | United States |
| State | New Mexico |
| Other Geospatial | Rio Grande watershed |