Grassland Wildfire Project

In 2024, wildfires swept across northwest Wyoming, burning more than 500,000 acres of grasslands and creating lasting challenges for livestock producers and rural communities. This project is dedicated to understanding the economic consequences of those fires and developing strategies to reduce future risks.

 

As part of a student thesis research effort, the project will apply tools such as farm enterprise budgets, focus groups, economic optimization models, statistical analysis, and spatial analysis. The goal is to evaluate how wildfires affect agricultural operations and rural economies, while also identifying policy and investment approaches that can support recovery and long-term resilience.

 

The project brings together an interdisciplinary team, including agricultural economists Dr. Ben Rashford and Dr. Kristi Hansen, and rangeland ecologist Dr. Brian Mealor, Director of the Institute for Managing Annual Grasses. Students will also engage directly with agricultural producers and policymakers, ensuring the research has both scientific and practical impact.