TY - CPAPER AB - In this article, a numerical stochastic dynamic programming model (SDP) is developed to characterize the decision problem of a rancher operating on rangelands in northern Nevada that are affected by invasive annual grasses and wildfire. The model incorporates decisions about herd size management of a cow-calf operation and fuels treatment to reduce the size of rangeland wildfires. Currently, high transactions costs to obtain permits to implement land treatments on federally-owned rangelands appear to limit rancher involvement. The results of the model suggest that ranch income motives alone are likely insufficient for private ranchers to adopt preventative land treatments. The current treatment cost ($20 per acre at the minimum) appears to be prohibitively expensive relative to the benefits derived from the treatments under the low-productivity, semi-arid rangeland conditions. AU - Kobayashi, Mimako AU - Harris, Thomas R. AU - Rollins, Kimberly S. DA - 2009-04-30 DA - 2009-04-30 DO - 10.22004/ag.econ.49365 DO - doi ID - 49365 KW - Livestock Production/Industries KW - Resource/Energy Economics and Policy KW - stochastic dynamic programming KW - cow-calf operation KW - rangeland KW - ecosystem L1 - https://ageconsearch.umn.edu/record/49365/files/AAEA09_613121.pdf L2 - https://ageconsearch.umn.edu/record/49365/files/AAEA09_613121.pdf L4 - https://ageconsearch.umn.edu/record/49365/files/AAEA09_613121.pdf LA - eng LA - English LK - https://ageconsearch.umn.edu/record/49365/files/AAEA09_613121.pdf N2 - In this article, a numerical stochastic dynamic programming model (SDP) is developed to characterize the decision problem of a rancher operating on rangelands in northern Nevada that are affected by invasive annual grasses and wildfire. The model incorporates decisions about herd size management of a cow-calf operation and fuels treatment to reduce the size of rangeland wildfires. Currently, high transactions costs to obtain permits to implement land treatments on federally-owned rangelands appear to limit rancher involvement. The results of the model suggest that ranch income motives alone are likely insufficient for private ranchers to adopt preventative land treatments. The current treatment cost ($20 per acre at the minimum) appears to be prohibitively expensive relative to the benefits derived from the treatments under the low-productivity, semi-arid rangeland conditions. PY - 2009-04-30 PY - 2009-04-30 T1 - Invasive Weeds, Wildfire, and Rancher Decision Making in the Great Basin TI - Invasive Weeds, Wildfire, and Rancher Decision Making in the Great Basin UR - https://ageconsearch.umn.edu/record/49365/files/AAEA09_613121.pdf Y1 - 2009-04-30 T2 - Selected Paper T2 - 613121 ER -