Research
I study how public lands policy gets implemented, and what that means for the agencies doing the work and the rural communities nearby. My methods include qualitative case studies, administrative data analysis, spatial analysis and scenario modeling.
An NSF EPSCoR Research Fellowship to obtain data science expertise that supports evidence-based policymaking for public lands counties, building on my work on county payments and the fiscal effects of public lands.
Developing resources and tools that build partners’ capacity to carry out Shared Stewardship.
Documents the purpose, design, community benefits and lessons of the A to Z stewardship contracting model on the Colville National Forest. The project looks at how the mechanism can reflect place-based community values while advancing Forest Service priorities. The output is a practitioner resource guide.
Surveys a diverse set of biomass business managers (community-scale/traditional and operating/closed/start-up) in the Intermountain West, with a focus on policy barriers and opportunities. Results are documented in a synthesis of themes with actionable recommendations ranging from formal policy change to administrative encumbrances and program modifications.
A replicable method for measuring how collaborative governance affects national forest management outcomes, using Forest Service administrative data, paired with qualitative work on how agency staff shape collaboration.
An analysis of county payment programs (PILT, Secure Rural Schools) with scenarios showing how different management alternatives would change payments to counties in Idaho and Montana.
Social and economic monitoring for the Southwestern Crown of the Continent (MT) and Northeast Washington Forest Vision 2020 projects, including subcontracting trends, local contractor participation and benefits to local communities over ten years.
Documents wood products manufacturers' capacity to use timber of different sizes. Ecological conditions and policy priorities are changing the species, size and quality of timber removed, and this information helps federal land managers design projects that suit local purchasers.