Courses

Through research that may include literature review and data collection, spatially-explicit modeling of the costs associated with boreal forest fire management, cost-benefit analysis of fire management for carbon mitigation compared to other mitigation efforts, and assessment of fire management potential in Alaska, the Kendall Fellow will undertake a two-year project to:

• Quantify the extent of the threat posed by emissions release from forest fires in Alaska in the context of the US meeting its 2025 and 2050 greenhouse gas emissions reduction goals;
• Evaluate whether, and to what degree, public investments in reducing the risk and severity of Alaska wildfires can be a cost-effective approach to minimizing the emissions from existing forest carbon stocks;
• Integrate information on current and projected impact of fire regimes on Alaska’s carbon balance and the economics, strategies, and policy framework of fire management in the context of other potential climate mitigation options for the US.
• Communicate research results with the media, policymakers, and the public.