James Meldrum (USGS-FORT) presents the results of a study about community preparedness for wildfire conducted with the City of Santa Fe Fire Department in front of a general public audience of Santa Fe, New Mexico, community members, May 2023.
James R Meldrum, PhD
James Meldrum is a Supervisory Research Economist in the Social and Economic Analysis Branch at the Fort Collins Science Center. His primary research focus is measuring, modeling, and understanding human relationships with natural resources.
James' economics and applied social science work spans many areas of interest to the USGS and our federal and non-federal partners. His main research topics include measuring, modeling, and understanding human relationships with natural resources and with natural hazards, especially focused on understanding and mitigating the risks of wildland fire. James is a founding member of the Wildfire Research (WiRē) Team, an interdisciplinary collaboration focused on coproducing science in support of community wildfire adaptedness and wildfire risk mitigation on private lands, and he is an active participant in numerous USGS- and DOI-wide communities of practice.
Research Interests
- Environmental economics
- Wildfire risk mitigation
- Behavioral economics
Science and Products
Filter Total Items: 20
Social and economic analysis research in support of public safety, outdoor recreation, and economic growth
FORT researchers provide sound science to support the Department of the Interior in its efforts to reduce the risks wildfires pose to people and property, expand outdoor recreation and tourism opportunities, and promote economic decision making in public lands management. This research is developed in partnership with resource managers from local, State, Federal and Tribal governments, industry...
Land management research in support of streamlined energy development, economic growth, and wildfire management
FORT researchers provide sound science to support the Department of the Interior in its efforts to streamline reliable energy development, enhance cost efficiency in public lands management, and manage fire-prone habitats for public safety. This research is developed in partnership with resource managers from local, State, Federal and Tribal governments, industry, and nongovernmental organizations...
Feasibility of Remote Sensing Data Sets for Evaluation of Next Generation Fire Behavior Models
U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) scientists are working with the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) Environmental Security Technology Certification Program (ESTCP) to advance efforts to deploy next generation fire behavior models through a research-to-operations transition to enable land managers to use advanced modeling tools for real-time decision making. As part of this effort, USGS is leading an...
Fish and wildlife science in support of heritage preservation, efficient decision making, wild ungulate management, and outdoor recreation
FORT researchers provide sound science to support the Department of Interior in its efforts to preserve American heritage, streamline species listing decisions and promote species recovery, manage wild horses and burros using efficient, cost-effective tools, and sustain hunting and fishing on public lands. This research is developed in partnership with resource managers from local, State, Federal...
Economics of Wildland Fire
In recent decades, wildfires have increased in size and intensity, and the fire season has lengthened. This and other factors have increased wildfire suppression costs and risks to human health and safety. Economists in the Social and Economic Analysis Branch (SEA) at FORT investigate numerous aspects of wildland fire, its impacts, and how to mitigate the risk wildfire poses to people, resources...
The Wildfire Research (WiRē) Team
Wildfires cost billions of dollars to suppress annually, yet they still devastate lives, communities, and ecosystems. While wildfire is a natural phenomenon, learning to live with wildfire is a social issue – so we need a social solution.
Fire Behavior and Effects Model Evaluation and Demonstration across Innovation Landscapes.
U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) scientists are working with the U.S. Department of War (DoW) Environmental Security Technology Certification Program (ESTCP) to demonstrate and improve how next-generation fire behavior models inform land management decision-making for partners within the National Innovation Landscape Network (Innovation Landscapes Network). Specifically, this project looks to...
Demonstrating Improved Risk Assessment Approaches on Department of Defense (DoD) Landscapes
USGS economists are working to implement innovative approaches to assessing the risk of wildfire to military readiness on DoD landscapes, supported by the U.S. Department of Defense Environmental Security Technology Certification Program. This project focuses on demonstrating the usefulness of enhanced characterization of how wildfire hazards threaten the values that are provided to DoD and its...
Wildlife Economics
Wildlife economics can help us better understand, and sometimes even quantify, the various relationships between humans and wildlife species. On one hand, humans benefit significantly from wildlife, for example through activities like hunting, fishing, and wildlife viewing, or through the conservation of threatened and endangered species. On the other hand, wildlife can also impose substantial...
Economics of Outdoor Recreation
Planning and managing outdoor recreation on public land and water entails a series of choices, many of which are economic in nature. Economics is useful for informing a wide range of decision-making processes in the context of outdoor recreation management, including why people choose to engage in recreation and where, how people substitute between different types of recreation activities and...
Economic Impacts of Public Lands Management
Federal investments in land management projects protect Federal trusts, ensure public health and safety, and preserve and enhance the benefits provided by ecosystems to people. These investments also generate business activity and create jobs. However, limited information often exists on the costs and associated economic impacts of public land management activities.
Economic Implications of Sagebrush Treatment and Restoration Practices Across the Great Basin and Wyoming
USGS and Colorado State University researchers are conducting analyses and predictions of sagebrush recovery in the Great Basin and Wyoming and assess the role of weather, soils, and reseeding treatments.
Sante Fe WIRE Public Meeting
James Meldrum (USGS-FORT) presents the results of a study about community preparedness for wildfire conducted with the City of Santa Fe Fire Department in front of a general public audience of Santa Fe, New Mexico, community members, May 2023.
Science and Products
Filter Total Items: 20
Social and economic analysis research in support of public safety, outdoor recreation, and economic growth
FORT researchers provide sound science to support the Department of the Interior in its efforts to reduce the risks wildfires pose to people and property, expand outdoor recreation and tourism opportunities, and promote economic decision making in public lands management. This research is developed in partnership with resource managers from local, State, Federal and Tribal governments, industry...
Land management research in support of streamlined energy development, economic growth, and wildfire management
FORT researchers provide sound science to support the Department of the Interior in its efforts to streamline reliable energy development, enhance cost efficiency in public lands management, and manage fire-prone habitats for public safety. This research is developed in partnership with resource managers from local, State, Federal and Tribal governments, industry, and nongovernmental organizations...
Feasibility of Remote Sensing Data Sets for Evaluation of Next Generation Fire Behavior Models
U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) scientists are working with the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) Environmental Security Technology Certification Program (ESTCP) to advance efforts to deploy next generation fire behavior models through a research-to-operations transition to enable land managers to use advanced modeling tools for real-time decision making. As part of this effort, USGS is leading an...
Fish and wildlife science in support of heritage preservation, efficient decision making, wild ungulate management, and outdoor recreation
FORT researchers provide sound science to support the Department of Interior in its efforts to preserve American heritage, streamline species listing decisions and promote species recovery, manage wild horses and burros using efficient, cost-effective tools, and sustain hunting and fishing on public lands. This research is developed in partnership with resource managers from local, State, Federal...
Economics of Wildland Fire
In recent decades, wildfires have increased in size and intensity, and the fire season has lengthened. This and other factors have increased wildfire suppression costs and risks to human health and safety. Economists in the Social and Economic Analysis Branch (SEA) at FORT investigate numerous aspects of wildland fire, its impacts, and how to mitigate the risk wildfire poses to people, resources...
The Wildfire Research (WiRē) Team
Wildfires cost billions of dollars to suppress annually, yet they still devastate lives, communities, and ecosystems. While wildfire is a natural phenomenon, learning to live with wildfire is a social issue – so we need a social solution.
Fire Behavior and Effects Model Evaluation and Demonstration across Innovation Landscapes.
U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) scientists are working with the U.S. Department of War (DoW) Environmental Security Technology Certification Program (ESTCP) to demonstrate and improve how next-generation fire behavior models inform land management decision-making for partners within the National Innovation Landscape Network (Innovation Landscapes Network). Specifically, this project looks to...
Demonstrating Improved Risk Assessment Approaches on Department of Defense (DoD) Landscapes
USGS economists are working to implement innovative approaches to assessing the risk of wildfire to military readiness on DoD landscapes, supported by the U.S. Department of Defense Environmental Security Technology Certification Program. This project focuses on demonstrating the usefulness of enhanced characterization of how wildfire hazards threaten the values that are provided to DoD and its...
Wildlife Economics
Wildlife economics can help us better understand, and sometimes even quantify, the various relationships between humans and wildlife species. On one hand, humans benefit significantly from wildlife, for example through activities like hunting, fishing, and wildlife viewing, or through the conservation of threatened and endangered species. On the other hand, wildlife can also impose substantial...
Economics of Outdoor Recreation
Planning and managing outdoor recreation on public land and water entails a series of choices, many of which are economic in nature. Economics is useful for informing a wide range of decision-making processes in the context of outdoor recreation management, including why people choose to engage in recreation and where, how people substitute between different types of recreation activities and...
Economic Impacts of Public Lands Management
Federal investments in land management projects protect Federal trusts, ensure public health and safety, and preserve and enhance the benefits provided by ecosystems to people. These investments also generate business activity and create jobs. However, limited information often exists on the costs and associated economic impacts of public land management activities.
Economic Implications of Sagebrush Treatment and Restoration Practices Across the Great Basin and Wyoming
USGS and Colorado State University researchers are conducting analyses and predictions of sagebrush recovery in the Great Basin and Wyoming and assess the role of weather, soils, and reseeding treatments.
Sante Fe WIRE Public Meeting
James Meldrum (USGS-FORT) presents the results of a study about community preparedness for wildfire conducted with the City of Santa Fe Fire Department in front of a general public audience of Santa Fe, New Mexico, community members, May 2023.
James Meldrum (USGS-FORT) presents the results of a study about community preparedness for wildfire conducted with the City of Santa Fe Fire Department in front of a general public audience of Santa Fe, New Mexico, community members, May 2023.