Demographic Trends, the Wildland–Urban Interface, and Wildfire Management

Abstract

In this article, we provide an overview of the demographic trends that have impacted and will continue to impact the “wicked” wildfire management problem in the United States, with particular attention to the emergence of the wildland–urban interface (WUI). Although population growth has had an impact on the emergence of the WUI, the deconcentration of population and housing, amenity-driven population growth in select nonmetropolitan counties, and interregional population shifts to the West and Southeast have had and will continue to have much greater impacts. In the coming decades, we can expect the retirement of the baby boom generation to exacerbate these trends.

Keywords:

• demographic trends
• wicked problem
• wildfire management
• wildland–urban interface

This article was adapted from testimony before the U.S. House of Representatives Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee Oversight Hearing on Wildfire Management, 12 February 2008. We acknowledge the very helpful comments of three anonymous reviewers.