Patricia A. Champ, PhD

Economist

Rocky Mountain Research Station

patricia.a.champ@usda.gov

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Evan E. Hjerpe, Patricia A. Champ, Samuel G. Evans, José J. Sánchez, Kelly W. Jones, John Loomis, Thomas P. Holmes, Gwendolyn Aldrich, Mark Buckley, Melanie M. Colavito, Andrew Sánchez Meador. 2026. Economic efficiency of fuel treatments in western US forests: A methodological framework
Kelly Wallace, Grant Webster, Hannah Brenkert‐Smith, Patricia A. Champ, Colleen Donovan, Carolyn Wagner, Christopher M. Barth, Josh Kuehn, Suzanne Wittenbrink, James R. Meldrum. 2026. Perceptions of parcel-level wildfire risk differ between homeowners and trained assessors in wildland-urban interface communities across the western United States
Colleen Donovan, Hannah Brenkert-Smith, Suzanne Wittenbrink, Patricia A. Champ, J.T. Shaver, Dave McCann, Christine Taniguchi, James R. Meldrum, Christopher M. Barth, Carolyn Wagner, Josh Kuehn. 2026. Living with wildfire in Lake County, Colorado: 2023 data report
Colleen Donovan, Suzanne Wittenbrink, Hannah Brenkert-Smith, Josh Kuehn, Tim Weekley, Patricia A. Champ, Christopher M. Barth, James R. Meldrum, Carolyn Wagner, Christine Taniguchi. 2026. Living with wildfire in Cooper Landing, Kenai Peninsula Borough, Alaska: 2023 data report
Colleen Donovan, Suzanne Wittenbrink, Hannah Brenkert-Smith, Josh Kuehn, Brenda Ahlberg, Patricia A. Champ, Christopher M. Barth, James R. Meldrum, Carolyn Wagner, Christine Taniguchi. 2026. Living with wildfire in Nikiski, Kenai Peninsula Borough, Alaska: 2023 data report
Andrea Watts, Patricia A. Champ. 2026. Wildfire and communities: Are there tradeoffs when promoting fire mitigation versus evacuation preparedness?
Colleen Donovan, Suzanne Wittenbrink, Hannah Brenkert-Smith, Josh Kuehn, Paul McBride, Patricia A. Champ, Christopher M. Barth, James R. Meldrum, Carolyn Wagner, Christine Taniguchi. 2026. Living with wildfire in Funny River, Kenai Peninsula Borough, Alaska: 2023 data report
James R. Meldrum, Colleen Donovan, Suzanne Wittenbrink, Porfirio Chavarria, Patricia A. Champ, Hannah Brenkert-Smith, Christopher M. Barth, Carolyn Wagner. 2026. Living with wildfire in Santa Fe, New Mexico: 2024 data report
Hannah Brenkert-Smith, Aaron Johnson, Suzanne Wittenbrink, Colleen Donovan, Josh Kuehn, James R. Meldrum, Patricia A. Champ, Christopher M. Barth, Carolyn Wagner, Christine Taniguchi. 2025. Living with wildfire in Montrose County, Colorado: 2023 data report
Colleen Donovan, Patricia A. Champ, Suzanne Wittenbrink, Wilynn Formeller, Christine Taniguchi, Jon Landkamer, Hannah Brenkert-Smith, James R. Meldrum, Christopher M. Barth, Carolyn Wagner. 2025. Living with wildfire in Estes Valley Fire Protection District, Larimer County, Colorado: 2023 Data report
Kelly Wallace, Hannah Brenkert-Smith, Patricia A. Champ, James R. Meldrum, Grant Webster, Christine Taniguchi, Julia B. Goolsby, Colleen Donovan, Carolyn Wagner, Christopher M. Barth, Josh Kuehn, Suzanne Wittenbrink. 2025. Wildfire risk information sources and the acceptability of fuels treatments near select WUI communities in the Western United States
Grant Webster, Hannah Brenkert-Smith, Patricia A. Champ, James R. Meldrum, Kelly Wallace, Colleen Donovan, Carolyn Wagner, Christopher M. Barth, Josh Kuehn, Suzanne Wittenbrink, Christine Taniguchi. 2025. Are wildfire risk mitigators more prepared to evacuate? Insights from communities in the Western United States
Colleen Donovan, Patricia A. Champ, Suzanne Wittenbrink, Paul Cada, Hannah Brenkert-Smith, James R. Meldrum, Christopher M. Barth, Carolyn Wagner, Chiara Forrester, Julia B. Goolsby. 2025. Living with wildfire in West Vail, Eagle County, Colorado: 2022 data report
Suzanne Wittenbrink, Colleen Donovan, Julia B. Goolsby, Patricia A. Champ, Dave Nalle, Hannah Brenkert-Smith, James R. Meldrum, Christopher M. Barth, Carolyn Wagner, Chiara Forrester. 2025. Living with wildfire in Chelan County Fire District #3, Chelan County, Washington: 2022 data report
Julia B. Goolsby, Hannah Brenkert-Smith, Colleen Donovan, Stephen Boyle, Carolyn Wagner, Patricia A. Champ, Josh Kuehn, Suzanne Wittenbrink. 2024. Preparing mobile home park residents for wildfire in Lake County, Colorado
Jane Marie Andrew, Patricia A. Champ. 2024. The devil Is in the details: Understanding community acceptance of fuels treatments
Julia B. Goolsby, Patricia A. Champ, Suzanne Wittenbrink, Colleen Donovan, Hillary Heard, Hannah Brenkert-Smith, James R. Meldrum, Christopher M. Barth, Carolyn Wagner, Chiara C. Forrester. 2024. Living with wildfire in Stemilt Basin, Chelan County, Washington: 2022 data report
James R. Meldrum, Julia B. Goolsby, Colleen Donovan, P. Chavarria, Hannah Brenkert-Smith, Patricia A. Champ, Christopher M. Barth, Carolyn Wagner, Chiara Forrester. 2024. Living with wildfire in Santa Fe: 2021 data report
James R. Meldrum, Patricia A. Champ, Hannah Brenkert-Smith, Christopher M. Barth, Abby E. McConnell, Carolyn Wagner, Colleen Donovan. 2024. Rethinking cost-share programs in consideration of economic equity: A case study of wildfire risk mitigation assistance for private landowners
Julia B. Goolsby, Patricia A. Champ, Suzanne Wittenbrink, Colleen Donovan, Kris King, Hannah Brenkert-Smith, James R. Meldrum, Christopher M. Barth, Carolyn Wagner, Chiara Forrester. 2023. Living with Wildfire in Lake Wenatchee, Chelan County, Washington: 2022 Data Report
Hannah Brenkert-Smith, Julia B. Goolsby, Patricia A. Champ, James R. Meldrum, Colleen Donovan, Carolyn Wagner, Christopher M. Barth, Chiara Forester, Suzanne Witten. 2023. The devil is in the details: Variation in public acceptance of fuels treatments across western fire-prone communities
Hannah Brenkert-Smith, Dorie Dalton, Jason Puffett, Patricia A. Champ, Christopher M. Barth, James R. Meldrum, Colleen Donovan, Carolyn Wagner, Julia B. Goolsby, Chiara Forrester. 2023. Living with wildfire in Genesee Fire Protection District, Jefferson County, Colorado: 2022 data report
Andrea Watts, Patricia A. Champ, James Meldrum, Schelly Olson, James (Brad) White. 2023. Sometimes simple works: The value of rapid parcel-level wildfire risk assessments
Julia Goolsby, Hannah Brenkert-Smith, Dax Reid, James R. Meldrum, Patricia A. Champ, Christopher M. Barth, Colleen Donovan, Carolyn Wagner. 2023. Living With Wildfire in Emigration Canyon, Utah: 2022 data report
Hannah Brenkert-Smith, Patricia A. Champ, Abbey E. McConnell, Jamie Gomez, Christopher M. Barth, James R. Meldrum, Colleen Donovan, Carolyn Wagner, Julia B. Goolsby. 2023. Living with wildfire in Park County, Colorado: 2021 data report
Patricia A. Champ, Hannah Brenkert-Smith, Jonathan P. Riley, James R. Meldrum, Christopher M. Barth, Colleen Donovan, Carolyn J. Wagner. 2022. Actionable social science can guide community level wildfire solutions
Jude Bayham, Jonathan K. Yoder, Patricia A. Champ, Dave E. Calkin. 2022. The economics of wildfire in the United States
Hilary Byerly Flint, Patricia A. Champ, James R. Meldrum, Hannah Brenkert-Smith. 2022. Wildfire imagery reduces risk information-seeking among homeowners as property wildfire risk increases
Hilary Byerly Flint, Paul Cada, Patricia A. Champ, Jamie Gomez, Danny Margoles, James R. Meldrum, Hannah Brenkert‑Smith. 2022. You vs. us: Framing adaptation behavior in terms of private or social benefits
Benjamin A. Jones, Shana McDermott, Patricia A. Champ, Robert P. Berrens. 2022. More smoke today for less smoke tomorrow? We need to better understand the public health benefits and costs of prescribed fire
Hannah Brenkert-Smith, Abby E. McConnell, Schelly Olson, Adam Gosey, James R. Meldrum, Patricia A. Champ, Jamie Gomez, Christopher M. Barth, Colleen Donovan, Carolyn Wagner, Julia Goolsby. 2022. Living with wildfire in Grand County, Colorado: 2021 data report
Julia B. Goolsby, Patricia A. Champ, Hannah Brenkert-Smith, Bobbi J. Clauson, Robert M. Sgroi, Lesley Williams, Christopher M. Barth, James R. Meldrum, Colleen Donovan, Carolyn Wagner. 2022. Living with wildfire in Teton County, Wyoming: 2021 data report
James R. Meldrum, Christopher M. Barth, Julia B. Goolsby, Schelly K. Olson, Adam C. Gosey, James (Brad) White, Hannah Brenkert-Smith, Patricia A. Champ, Jamie Gomez. 2022. Parcel-level risk affects wildfire outcomes: Insights from pre-fire rapid assessment data for homes destroyed in 2020 East Troublesome Fire
Colleen Donovan, Jamie P. Gomez, Lilia Falk, Christopher M. Barth, Patricia A. Champ, Hannah Brenkert-Smith, James R. Meldrum, Carolyn Wagner. 2022. Living with wildfire in Log Hill Mesa, Ouray County, Colorado: 2017 data report and a comparison to 2011 and 2012 data
Patricia A. Champ, Julia B. Goolsby, J.T. Shaver, J. Kuehn, James R. Meldrum, Hannah Brenkert-Smith, Christopher M. Barth, Colleen Donovan, Carolyn Wagner. 2021. Living with wildfire in Chalk Creek, Chaffee County, Colorado: 2019 data report
James R. Meldrum, Hannah Brenkert-Smith, Patricia A. Champ, Jamie Gomez, Hilary Byerly, Lilia Falk, Christopher M. Barth. 2021. Would you like to know more? The effect of personalized wildfire risk information and social comparisons on information‑seeking behavior in the wildland-urban interface
Patricia A. Champ, Christopher Barth, Hannah Brenkert-Smith, Lilia Falk, Jamie Gomez, James Meldrum. 2021. Putting people first: Using social science to reduce risk
Hannah Brenkert-Smith, Chris Chambers, Katie Gibble, Christopher M. Barth, Colleen Donovan, Carolyn Wagner, Alison Lerch, James R. Meldrum, Patricia A. Champ. 2021. Living with wildfire in Ashland, Oregon: 2020 data report
Hilary Byerly, James R. Meldrum, Hannah Brenkert-Smith, Patricia A. Champ, Jamie Gomez, Lilia Falk, Chris Barth. 2020. Developing behavioral and evidence-based programs for wildfire risk mitigation
Hannah Brenkert-Smith, Patricia A. Champ, Jonathan Riley, Christopher M. Barth, Colleen Donovan, James R. Meldrum, Carolyn Wagner. 2020. Living with wildfire in the Squilchuck Drainage-Chelan County, Washington: 2020 data report
James R. Meldrum, Patricia A. Champ, Craig Bond, Anna W. Schoettle. 2020. Paired stated preference methods for valuing management of white pine blister rust: Order effects and outcome uncertainty
James R. Meldrum, Hannah Brenkert-Smith, Patricia A. Champ, Jamie Gomez, Lilia Falk, Christopher Barth. 2019. Interactions between resident risk perceptions and wildfire risk mitigation: Evidence from simultaneous equations modeling
Patricia A. Champ, James R. Meldrum, Hannah Brenkert-Smith, Travis Warziniack, Christopher M. Barth, Lilia C. Falk, Jamie B. Gomez. 2019. Do actions speak louder than words? Comparing the effect of risk aversion on objective and self-reported mitigation measures
James R. Meldrum, Hannah Brenkert-Smith, Pamela Wilson, Patricia A. Champ, Christopher M. Barth, Angela Boag. 2019. Living with wildfire in Archeluta County, Colorado: 2015 data report
Hannah Brenkert-Smith, James R. Meldrum, Pamela Wilson, Patricia A. Champ, Christopher M. Barth, Angela Boag. 2019. Living with wildfire in La Plata County, Colorado: 2015 data report
Hannah Brenkert-Smith, James R. Meldrum, Pamela Wilson, Patricia A. Champ, Christopher M. Barth, Angela Boag. 2019. Living with Wildfire in Montezuma County, Colorado: 2015 Data Report
James R. Meldrum, Hannah Brenkert-Smith, Patricia A. Champ, Lilia Falk, Pamela Wilson, Christopher M. Barth. 2018. Wildland-urban interface residents’ relationships with wildfire: Variation within and across communities
Travis Warziniack, Patricia A. Champ, James Meldrum, Hannah Brenkert-Smith, Christopher M. Barth, Lilia C. Falk. 2018. Responding to risky neighbors: Testing for spatial spillover effects for defensible space in a fire-prone WUI community
Hannah Brenkert-Smith, James R. Meldrum, Patricia A. Champ, Christopher M. Barth. 2017. Where you stand depends on where you sit: Qualitative inquiry into notions of fire adaptation
Patricia A. Champ. 2017. Adapting to wildfire: Moving beyond homeowner risk perceptions to taking action
Sue Miller, Anna W. Schoettle, Kelly Burns, Richard Sniezko, Patricia A. Champ. 2017. Preempting the pathogen: Blister rust and proactive management of high-elevation pines
James R. Meldrum, Lilia C. Falk, Jamie Gomez, Christopher M. Barth, Hannah Brenkert-Smith, Travis Warziniack, Patricia A. Champ. 2017. Living with wildfire in Telluride Fire Protection District, Colorado
Ikuho Kochi, Patricia A. Champ, John B. Loomis, Geoffrey Donovan. 2016. Valuing morbidity effects of wildfire smoke exposure from the 2007 Southern California wildfires
Patricia A. Champ, Hannah Brenkert-Smith. 2016. Is seeing believing? Perceptions of wildfire risk over time
Hannah Brenkert-Smith, James R. Meldrum, Patricia A. Champ. 2015. Climate change beliefs and hazard mitigation behaviors: Homeowners and wildfire risk
Katherine Dickinson, Hannah Brenkert-Smith, Patricia A. Champ, Nicholas Flores. 2015. Catching fire? Social interactions, beliefs, and wildfire risk mitigation behaviors
James R. Meldrum, Patricia A. Champ, Hannah Brenkert-Smith, Travis Warziniack, Christopher M. Barth, Lilia C. Falk. 2015. Understanding gaps between the risk perceptions of wildland-urban interface (WUI) residents and wildfire professionals
James R. Meldrum, Christopher Barth, Lilia Colter Falk, Hannah Brenkert-Smith, Travis Warziniack, Patricia A. Champ. 2015. Living with wildfire in Delta County, Colorado: cross-community comparisons
Charlotte Ham, John B. Loomis, Patricia A. Champ. 2015. Relative economic values of open space provided by National Forest and military lands to surrounding communities in Colorado
Brian Cooke, Sarah J. Hines, Hannah Brenkert-Smith, Patricia A. Champ, Linda A. Joyce, Jeff Lukas, Pete R. Robichaud, Sandra E. Ryan-Burkett. 2014. Our relationship with a dynamic landscape: Understanding the 2013 Northern Colorado Flood
James R. Meldrum, Patricia A. Champ, Travis Warziniack, Hannah Brenkert-Smith, Christopher M. Barth, Lilia C. Falk. 2014. Cost shared wildfire risk mitigation in Log Hill Mesa, Colorado: Survey evidence on participation and willingness to pay
Krista Gebert, Greg G. Jones, Patricia A. Champ, Mike Czaja, Chuck Oliver, Paul E. Cruz, Jessica Clement. 2014. Beetles among us: Social and economic impacts of the MPB epidemic [Chapter 6]
Sue Miller, Patricia A. Champ, Hannah Brenkert-Smith. 2013. Fire on the mountain: What motivates homeowners to reduce their wildfire risk?
Leslie Richardson, John B. Loomis, Patricia A. Champ. 2013. Valuing morbidity from wildfire smoke exposure: A comparison of revealed and stated preference techniques
Kimberley Maher, Joseph Little, Patricia A. Champ. 2013. Insights from a harvest trip model for non-timber forest products in the interior of Alaska
James R. Meldrum, Christopher M. Barth, Lilia Colter Falk, Hannah Brenkert-Smith, Travis Warziniack, Patricia A. Champ. 2013. Living with wildfire in Log Hill Mesa, Colorado
Raphael J. Nawrotzki, Hannah Brenkert-Smith, Lori M. Hunter, Patricia A. Champ. 2013. Wildfire-migration dynamics: Lessons from Colorado's Fourmile Canyon Fire
Hannah Brenkert-Smith, Patricia A. Champ. 2013. Understanding change: Wildfire in Larimer County, Colorado
Hannah Brenkert-Smith, Patricia A. Champ, Amy L. Telligman. 2013. Understanding change: Wildfire in Boulder County, Colorado
Patricia A. Champ, Geoffrey Donovan, Christopher M. Barth. 2013. Living in a tinderbox: wildfire risk perceptions and mitigating behaviours
Randall S. Rosenberger, Lauren A. Bell, Patricia A. Champ, Eric M. White. 2013. Estimating the economic value of recreation losses in Rocky Mountain National Park due to a mountain pine beetle outbreak
Hannah Brenkert-Smith, Katherine L. Dickinson, Patricia A. Champ, Nicholas Flores. 2013. Social amplification of wildfire risk: The role of social interactions and information sources
James R. Meldrum, Patricia A. Champ, Craig A. Bond. 2013. Heterogeneous nonmarket benefits of managing white pine bluster rust in high-elevation pine forests
Hannah Brenkert-Smith, Patricia A. Champ, Nicholas Flores. 2012. Trying not to get burned: Understanding homeowners' wildfire risk-mitigation behaviors
Heidi M. Pitts, Jennifer A. Thacher, Patricia A. Champ, Robert P. Berrens. 2012. A hedonic price analysis of the outfitter market for trout fishing in the Rocky Mountain West
Charlotte Ham, Patricia A. Champ, John B. Loomis, Robin M. Reich. 2012. Accounting for heterogeneity of public lands in hedonic property models
Kristen E. Meyer, Kathleen A. Dwire, Patricia A. Champ, Sandra E. Ryan-Burkett, Gregg M. Riegel, Timothy A. Burton. 2012. Burning questions for managers: Fuels management practices in riparian areas
Randall S. Rosenberger, Lauren A. Bell, Patricia A. Champ, Eric. L. Smith. 2012. Nonmarket economic values of forest insect pests: An updated literature review
Leslie A. Richardson, Patricia A. Champ, John B. Loomis. 2012. The hidden cost of wildfires: Economic valuation of health effects of wildfire smoke exposure in southern California
Ikuho Kochi, Patricia A. Champ, John B. Loomis, Geoffrey Donovan. 2012. Valuing mortality impacts of smoke exposure from major southern California wildfires
Patricia A. Champ, Hannah Brenkert-Smith, Nicholas Flores. 2011. Living with wildfire in Larimer County, Colorado, 2007
Patricia A. Champ, Hannah Brenkert-Smith, Nicholas Flores. 2011. Living with wildfire in Boulder County, Colorado, 2007
Hannah Brenkert-Smith, Patricia A. Champ. 2011. Fourmile Canyon: Living with wildfire
Craig A. Bond, Patricia A. Champ, James Meldrum, Anna W. Schoettle. 2011. Investigating the optimality of proactive management of an invasive forest pest
James R. Meldrum, Patricia A. Champ, Craig A. Bond. 2011. Valuing the forest for the trees: Willingness to pay for white pine blister rust management
Craig A. Bond, Patricia A. Champ, James Meldrum, Anna W. Schoettle. 2010. Proactive or reactive? Optimal management of an invasive forest pest in a spatial framework
Ikuho Kochi, Geoffrey Donovan, Patricia A. Champ, John B. Loomis. 2010. The economic cost of adverse health effects from wildfire-smoke exposure: A review
Rebecca Moore, Richard C. Bishop, Bill Provencher, Patricia A. Champ. 2010. Accounting for respondent uncertainty to improve willingness-to-pay estimates
Patricia A. Champ, Nicholas Flores, Hannah Brenkert-Smith. 2010. Living with wildfire in Colorado
Richard C. Ready, Patricia A. Champ, Jennifer L. Lawton. 2010. Using respondent uncertainty to mitigate hypothetical bias in a stated choice experiment
Patricia A. Champ, Geoffrey Donovan, Christopher M. Barth. 2010. Homebuyers and wildfire risk: A Colorado Springs case study
Patricia A. Champ, Rebecca Moore, Richard C. Bishop. 2009. A comparison of approaches to mitigate hypothetical bias
Geoffrey Donovan, Patricia A. Champ. 2009. The Economic Benefits of Elk Viewing at the Jewell Meadows Wildlife Area in Oregon
Patricia A. Champ, Geoffrey Donovan, Christopher Barth. 2008. Wildfire risk and home purchase decisions.
John W. Duffield, Chris J. Neher, David A. Patterson, Patricia A. Champ. 2007. Field testing existence values for riparian ecosystems
Geoffrey Donovan, Patricia A. Champ, David T. Butry. 2007. Wildfire risk and housing prices: a case study from colorado springs
Geoffrey Donovan, Patricia A. Champ, David T. Butry. 2007. Measuring the efficacy of a wildfire education program in Colorado Springs
Jeffrey Brooks, Patricia A. Champ. 2006. Understanding the wicked nature of "unmanaged recreation" in Colorado's Front Range
Patricia A. Champ, Anna Alberini, Ignacio Correas. 2005. Using contingent valuation to value a noxious weeds control program: The effects of including an unsure response category
Hannah Brenkert, Patricia A. Champ, Nicholas Flores. 2005. Mitigation of wildfire risk by homeowners
Patricia A. Champ, Nicholas E. Flores, Thomas C. Brown, James Chivers. 2002. Contingent valuation and incentives
John B. Loomis, George Peterson, Patricia A. Champ, Thomas C. Brown, Beatrice Lucero. 1998. Paired comparison estimates of willingness to accept versus contingent valuation estimates of willingness to pay
Patricia A. Champ, John B. Loomis. 1998. WTA estimates using the method of paired comparison: tests of robustness
Patricia A. Champ, Richard C. Bishop, Thomas C. Brown, Daniel W. McCollum. 1997. Using donation mechanisms to value nonuse benefits from public goods
Gregory L. Poe, Michael P. Welsh, Patricia A. Champ. 1997. Measuring the difference in mean willingness to pay when dichotomous choice contingent valuation responses are not independent
Thomas C. Brown, Patricia A. Champ, Richard C. Bishop, Daniel W. McCollum. 1996. Which response format reveals the truth about donations to a public good?

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University of Wisconsin, B.A., Economics and International Relations, 1984
University of Wisconsin, M.A., Economics, 1987
University of Wisconsin, Ph.D., Agricultural and Applied Economics, 1994

Last updated March 10, 2026

Patricia A. Champ, PhD

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