Western Wildfires & Water - Why water leaders are so damn worried
September 2021
As extreme wildfires rip through our North American communities, forests, and watersheds, now what?
Climate Change and Western Wildfires: The Science Supports Restoration with Climate Adaptation
What does the science say? Three key findings:
1. High-risk western landscapes can be treated successfully using a combination of science- and evidence-based methods of thinning and prescribed burns.
2. Wildfires can be managed under the right conditions.
3. Pro-active, intentional forest management – which includes fuel reductions – is necessary to create and maintain sustainable western forests resilient to climate change.
Talking Water Investments – Western water & climate change
June 2021
How do western water agencies and cities make the financial leap to invest in the health of their water supply upstream? What information and analysis does a governing body use to make these investment decisions?
How much money? A darn good example
April 2021
What are the economic benefits of forest and watershed treatment? To accelerate investment (needed damn fast) in the health of western forests and the critical water supply provided, we need relevant stories and solid dollar estimates.
Thanks to Earth Economics and the Forest Service, the new report Greater Santa Fe Fireshed: Triple Bottom Line Analysis Of Fuel Treatments, we have a solid economic analysis to point to.
Everything you did not want to know about wildfire costs
December 2020
The past few months we’ve been taking a close look at the true costs of western wildfires - including impacts on what supply - and comparing that to the costs of what it takes to get forests healthier. The reports (below) are helpful - with thanks to Rowan Schmidt & Johnny Mojica at Earth Economics; and, Tony Cheng at Colorado State University.
You can read more about on our recent posts:
From the October Getches Center Webinar: Session Four - Investing in Healthy Headwaters
While wildfire will continue to dominate the western landscape, if we can get forests a bit more resilient, we’ll see more wildfires that don’t incinerate the landscape. The webinar focuses on restoration investments in national forest lands – lands that are a critical source of downstream water supply – on average, about 60% of the water we use.
Reports
From the Western Forestry Leadership Coalition. Includes some jaw-dropping numbers comparing suppression costs to overall costs. Dated - doesn’t cover the recent catastrophic western wildfires.
Preliminary estimated losses (estimated while the fire was still burning) are for the first year after the fire and amount to nearly half of the annual value of environmental benefits provided within the Rim Fire perimeter before the fire. Earth Economics report.
This report looks at who pays for what: the literature review suggests nearly half of all wildfire costs are paid at the local community level by government agencies, non-governmental organizations, businesses, and homeowners. Headwaters Economics report.
Three Paths Forward to Western Water Security
September 2020
How do we effectively, economically, and equitably ensure a secure water supply in the American West, leveraging opportunities and challenges? We have three recommendations for you – and the deep experience to help you, your agency, your business, or your NGO make them happen.
This report Three Paths Forward to Western Water Security gives you an overview of three paths forward: Partnership, Allyship, and Embracing VUCA.
Looking Forward
May 2020
We continue to believe that the exchange of ideas and supported networks comprised of people with different viewpoints and lived experiences is the only way we can tackle a challenge as complex and ubiquitous as climate change.
The Looking Forward report presents three recommendations on how the field can continue to build on success. As always, our recommendations focus on the essential factors: include all key stakeholders, use smart science, choose long-term sustainability, promote equity, and build partnerships.
Federal Policy Platform
May 2020
Over the past ten years, the Healthy Headwaters Alliance, an innovation network of diverse western water leaders, has implemented new and sustainable responses to impacts of a rapidly changing climate on water resources in the American West.
Through this broad-based network, leaders develop partnerships, identify new approaches for addressing climate impacts, share information quickly, and integrate communication strategies and tools to promote success.
This Healthy Headwaters Federal Policy Platform is the third such document issued by the Alliance in the past five years. Its focus is on federal policy changes, including recommendations for funding.
Climate Chaos, Resilient Solutions
These seven stories are just a few snapshots representative of the inspiring work going on around the West. We invite you to learn more about what they, and others, are doing. Enjoy!