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

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  • Jonathan Yoder

Abstract

Prescribed fire is a useful but risky method for reducing the general wildfire risk and improving wildlife habitats, biodiversity, timber growth, and agricultural forage. In the past 15 years, laws to further promote the use of prescribed fire have been adopted in several states. This article examines the effect of liability laws 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 laws and regulations tend to reduce the number and severity of escaped prescribed fires on private land but not on federal land, where state liability laws do not directly apply. An economic motivation-based on the explicit recognition in these statutes of the perceived public benefits provided by prescribed fires-for the recent changes in statutory laws is provided. (c) 2008 byThe University of Chicago. All rights reserved.

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  • Jonathan Yoder, 2008. "Liability, Regulation, and Endogenous Risk: The Incidence and Severity of Escaped Prescribed Fires in the United States," Journal of Law and Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 51(2), pages 297-325, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:ucp:jlawec:v:51:y:2008:i:2:p:297-325
    DOI: 10.1086/589661
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    Cited by:

    1. 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.
    2. 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.
    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

    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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