PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Jawhari, Ahmed Amine
AU  - Jones, Benjamin A.
AU  - Berrens, Robert P.
TI  - Linking Forests to Airsheds
AID  - 10.3368/le.102.4.042225-0032R1
DP  - 2026 Apr 13
TA  - Land Economics
PG  - le.102.4.042225-0032R1
4099  - http://le.uwpress.org/content/early/2026/04/06/le.102.4.042225-0032R1.short
4100  - http://le.uwpress.org/content/early/2026/04/06/le.102.4.042225-0032R1.full
AB  - Wildfire smoke reduction in the western United States presents a regional public good challenge, as local fires send smoke across state lines. This study evaluates households’ willingness-to-pay (WTP) to reduce smoke through forest fuel treatments. A contingent-valuation referendum (N=1,023; WTP n=623) with ex-ante/ex-post choice-purification screens yields a conservative median WTP of $94 to $123 (2021 USD) per year for one avoided smoke day. Valuations are higher among households who trust agencies, report health concerns, and support treatments. Preferences are polarized: 15% reject the prescribed fire smoke tradeoff, showing near-zero WTP. These benefit estimates can inform benefit-cost analysis and budgetary appropriations.