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Liability, Regulation, and Endogenous Risk: Incidence and Severity of Escaped Prescribed Fires in the United States

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  • Jonathan Yoder

    (School of Economic Sciences, Washington State University)

Abstract

Prescribed fire is a useful but risky method for reducing general wildfire risk and improving wildlife habitat, biodiversity, timber growth, and agricultural forage. In the past the fifteen years, laws is some states have been adopted to support the use of prescribed fire. This article examines the effect of liability law and common regulations on the incidence and severity of escaped prescribed fires in the United States from 1970 to 2002. Regression results show that stringent statutory liability law and regulation tends to reduce the number and severity of escaped prescribed fires on private land, but not on federal land where state liability law does not directly apply.

Suggested Citation

  • Jonathan Yoder, 2005. "Liability, Regulation, and Endogenous Risk: Incidence and Severity of Escaped Prescribed Fires in the United States," Working Papers 2005-8, School of Economic Sciences, Washington State University.
    • Handle: RePEc:wsu:wpaper:yoder-5
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Barreal, Jesús & Loureiro, Maria L. & Picos, Juan, 2014. "On insurance as a tool for securing forest restoration after wildfires," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 42(C), pages 15-23.
    2. Autumn S. Clark & Devan Allen McGranahan & Benjamin A. Geaumont & Carissa L. Wonkka & Jacqueline P. Ott & Urs P. Kreuter, 2022. "Barriers to Prescribed Fire in the US Great Plains, Part II: Critical Review of Presently Used and Potentially Expandable Solutions," Land, MDPI, vol. 11(9), pages 1-13, September.
    3. Thomas W. McDaniel & Carissa L. Wonkka & Morgan L. Treadwell & Urs P. Kreuter, 2021. "Factors Influencing County Commissioners’ Decisions about Burn Bans in the Southern Plains, USA," Land, MDPI, vol. 10(7), pages 1-13, June.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    endogenous risk; prescribed fire economics; liability law;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • K32 - Law and Economics - - Other Substantive Areas of Law - - - Energy, Environmental, Health, and Safety Law
    • Q2 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Renewable Resources and Conservation

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