Land Use, Forestry, and Agriculture
Forest, agricultural, and other land uses are both a source of emissions and a way to remove carbon from the atmosphere. RFF scholars are identifying and measuring land management solutions that can sustain people, ecosystems, and the climate, through effective incentives, investments, and protections.
Highlights
Topics
Agriculture
Examining the impacts of agricultural land use
Carbon Sinks
Examining the balance between forest coverage and biomass production
Forest Products
Analyzing the range of policies that govern timber product markets
Protected Lands and Outdoor Recreation
Assessing the value of protected lands to inform effective policy
Public and Private Lands
Examining the way natural, rural, and urban land is used and managed
Wildfires
Analyzing how communities, land managers, and policymakers can mitigate wildfire disasters
Featured Content
- Highlights
- Publications
- Events
- Editorial
- News
Resources Radio — Jan 17, 2023
A History of America’s Public Lands, with John D. Leshy
John D. Leshy discusses the history of US public lands, legislation that has affected their legal status, and their role in a transition to clean energy.
RFF Live — Sep 7, 2022
Sparking Solutions: The Fuels Management Challenge and Opportunity
Examining the role of fuels management in mitigating the impacts and intensity of wildfires
Testimony and Public Comments — Mar 8, 2022
Comments on the Development of a Conservation and Stewardship Atlas
Comments to the Department of the Interior on the development of a Conservation and Stewardship Atlas.
Journal Article — Feb 8, 2022
Environmental and Socio-Economic Implications of Woody Biomass Co-firing at Coal-Fired Power Plants
This paper applies a detailed power sector model to explore the near-term role of woody biomass co-firing at existing coal facilities in the Eastern US in the decarbonization of US electricity generation.
Journal Article — Apr 1, 2024
Social Media Influences National Park Visitation
This peer-reviewed article explores the empirical link between social media attention and national park popularity.
Report — Feb 21, 2024
Policy Incentives to Scale Carbon Dioxide Removal: Analysis and Recommendations
This report surveys the challenges to scaling carbon dioxide removal efforts in the United States and details short-term solutions and long-run policy frameworks.
Journal Article — Dec 23, 2023
Distribution and Dynamics of Private Forests across the United States
This peer-reviewed paper details a new theoretical model that analyzes changing ownership patterns for US forests.
Issue Brief — Nov 9, 2023
Reducing Agricultural Greenhouse Gas Emissions through “Climate-Smart” Markets, Technical Innovation, and Emissions Credit Trading
This issue brief, the last in a series on agricultural greenhouse gas emissions policy, examines "climate-smart" markets, public support for research and development, and emissions credit trading.
RFF Live — Jul 25, 2023
Changing Climate, Changing Forests: Exploring the US Forest Service’s 2020 RPA Assessment
On Tuesday, July 25, RFF and the USDA Forest Service unpacked the findings from the 2020 RPA Assessment and discussed the implications of our changing forest resources.
RFF Live — Jun 27, 2023
Policy Road Map to Accelerate Responsible BECCS Deployment
An event hosted by EFI Foundation and Resources for the Future reviewing the future of bioenergy with carbon capture and storage
RFF Live — Nov 30, 2022
Sparking Solutions: Wildfire Risk and Insurance
The third RFF Live event in the "Sparking Solutions" event series examining the role of insurance in mitigating the risks of wildfire.
RFF Live — Oct 12, 2022
Sparking Solutions: Reducing Risk at the Wildland-Urban Interface
On Wednesday, October 12, Resources for the Future (RFF) hosted the second RFF Live event in the “Sparking Solutions” webinar series, where we discussed the benefits and challenges of addressing the WUI problem.
Common Resources — Mar 12, 2024
Living with Wildfire: Adapting to the New Normal
A report from the Wildland Fire Mitigation and Management Commission confirms an increasingly acknowledged phenomenon: that intense, destructive wildfires are the new normal.
Resources Radio — Mar 5, 2024
Wildfire Risk and Home Prices, with Lala Ma
Lala Ma discusses the effect on housing prices in California of informing homebuyers about the risk of wildfire.
Common Resources — Jan 31, 2024
White House Rule on Clean Water Act in 2020 Dramatically Deregulated Waters of the United States
Machine learning can help reveal the complicated designation of which US waters are protected—or not—under various interpretations of the Clean Water Act.
In Focus — Jan 26, 2024
In Focus: Stories to Watch in 2024
This video shares insights about stories to watch in 2024 in the environmental and energy policy space, with RFF scholars Jim Boyd, Maya Domeshek, Kristin Hayes, and Katarina Nehrkorn.
Media Highlight — Feb 5, 2024
Smithsonian Magazine: “Six Big Ways Climate Change Could Impact the United States by 2100”
RFF Fellow Matthew Wibbenmeyer comments on the threat of climate-driven wildfire.
Media Highlight — Dec 27, 2023
Inside Climate News: “Biden Administration Takes Historic Step to Protect Old-Growth Forest”
A story about proposed federal land management policy mentions a 2021 RFF analysis on the distribution of the United States‘ protected lands.
Press Release — Oct 19, 2023
Old Forests Store More Carbon than Young Ones—and That Matters for US Climate Goals
A new paper shows that because mature forests store substantially more carbon than young forests, avoiding losses of existing forests provides more carbon storage benefits than adding new forests.
Press Release — Aug 14, 2023
Western US Wildfire Smoke Costs $2.3 Billion per Year in Health Impacts and Lost Enjoyment
A new working paper, published by scholars at RFF and the University of Alaska Anchorage, finds that camping trips to public lands are worth $107 less on average if they are affected by wildfire smoke.
