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Project ID:

24-2-05-11

Year:

2025

Date Started:

10/01/2025

Date Completed:

Title:

Addressing Unequal Wildfire Risks and Impacts in the Southeastern Coastal Plain

Project Proposal Abstract:

Problem Statement: The southeastern coastal plain (SECP) is characterized by high wildfire incidence, a rapidly growing human population, and differential exposure to wildfire risks and impacts according to race, ethnicity, income, and land tenure status. Addressing this inequality requires a detailed analysis of the distribution of wildfire risks and impacts as well as an understanding of the driving factors leading to unequal exposure. Although past research has examined these issues at coarse scales, this project proposes to more comprehensively assess the problem of unequal risks and impacts in the SECP and recommend practicable solutions that advance environmental justice.

Objectives: The project has three principal research objectives: 1) To assess the economic impact of wildfires within the SECP. We will employ advanced economic theories and regression analyses to estimate the marginal effect of wildfire-related variables on local income and inequality indicators. 2) To analyze differences in fuel loadings according to community characteristics. We will use a combination of primary LIDAR data and existing satellite data to characterize wildland fuel loads across the SECP in order to determine whether and how wildfire risks are unevenly distributed across communities with different socioeconomic characteristics. 3) To examine mechanisms of access to mitigation resources and community vulnerability across the SECP. We will conduct qualitative research with three selected communities and associated organizational and program representatives as a means of illuminating the mechanisms by which residents and landowners in fire-prone landscapes access wildfire risk reduction programs and how they engage with relevant wildfire protection resources. Collectively, this will allow us to specify the nature of the problem, its causal mechanisms, and possible pathways to address unequal exposure.

Benefits: From a scientific perspective, this research will fill important gaps in the characterization of wildfire economic impacts, wildfire risks, and the efficacy of programs and organizations intended to reduce exposure and increase adaptive capacity to wildfires in the SECP. These insights will lead to a series of recommendations for ways to reduce unequal exposure and improve wildfire resilience. Findings will be shared with the fire science academic community through peer-reviewed journal publications and presentations at relevant academic conferences. Summaries and recommendations will be shared with the broader community (including wildfire professionals, NGO representatives, community leaders, and homeowners) through public-oriented fact sheets, presentations at relevant meetings, community workshops, and webinars co-hosted by the Southern Fire Exchange. The goals of this project are well aligned with the White House Justice40 Initiative, Executive Orders 12898, 14008, and 14096, and the National Cohesive Wildland Fire Management Strategy.

Principal Investigator:

Jesse B. Abrams

Agency/Organization:

University of Georgia

Branch or Dept:

Warnell School of Forest Resources

Other Project Collaborators

Type	Name	Agency/Organization	Branch or Dept
Agreements Contact	Beau Dinh
Agreements Contact	Beth Schulte	Forest Service	SRS-Southern Research Station
Budget Contact	Jennifer Culbertson	University of GA Research Foundation, Inc.
Co-Principal Investigator	Alicia NM Peduzzi	University of Georgia
Co-Principal Investigator	Bruno Kanieski da Silva	Mississippi State University	Department of Forestry
Co-Principal Investigator	Cassandra Y. Johnson	Forest Service	SRS-Forestry Sciences Lab-Athens GA
Funding Cooperator	Alla McGraw	Forest Service	SRS-Southern Research Station
Funding Cooperator	Jeannette M Henry	Forest Service	SRS-Southern Research Station