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Travis Warziniack

Travis Warziniack

Research Economist

Address: 
240 West Prospect Road
Fort Collins, CO 80526-2098
Phone: 
970-498-2566
Fax: 
970-498-1010
Contact Travis Warziniack

Current Research

Current work focuses on valuation of ecoystem services, particularly as they relate to water resources and watershed health. Major projects include:

  • Development of the General Equilibrium Model of Ecosystem Services (GEMES) to measure ecosystem services on Western U.S. forests
  • National study of water demand and supply for RPA Water Assessment
  • Water and economic growth in the Colorado River Basin
  • Homeowners' understanding of wildland fire risk and motivations for risk mitigating behavior
  • Role of forested land in providing safe clean drinking water

Research Interests

Generally, I'm interested in the role natural resources play in community and economic development. Most of this work falls under the category of ecosystem services, and I've enjoyed working with National Forests to address ecosystem services in planning. More specifically, I tend to take a watershed approach in most of my work, focusing on watershed health, the role of forests and grasslands in providing safe clean water, and the effects of climate change on water supply and demand.

Education

  • University of Wyoming, Ph.D., Natural Resource Economics, 2008
  • University of Texas, M.S., Economics, 2001
  • Louisiana State University, B.S., Economics and Math, 1998

    • Featured Publications

    Binder, Seth; Haight, Robert G.; Polasky, Stephen; Warziniack, Travis; Mockrin, Miranda H.; Deal, Robert L.; Arthaud, Greg., 2017. Assessment and valuation of forest ecosystem services: State of the science review
    Warziniack, Travis; Sham, ChiHo; Morgan, Robert; Feferholtz, Yasha, 2017. Effect of forest cover on water treatment costs
    Prestemon, Jeff; Kruger, Linda; Abt, Karen L.; Bowker, Michael; Brandeis, Consuelo; Calkin, Dave E.; Donovan, Geoffrey H.; Ham, Charlotte; Holmes, Thomas P.; Kline, Jeffrey; Warziniack, Travis, 2016. Economics and societal considerations of drought
    Lodge, David M.; Simonin, Paul W.; Burgiel, Stanley W.; Keller, Reuben P.; Bossenbroek, Jonathan M.; Jerde, Christopher L.; Kramer, Andrew M.; Rutherford, Edward S.; Barnes, Matthew A.; Wittmann, Marion E.; Chadderton, W. Lindsay; Apriesnig, Jenny L.; Beletsky, Dmitry; Cooke, Roger M.; Drake, John M.; Egan, Scott P.; Finnoff, David C.; Gantz, Crysta A.; Grey, Erin K.; Hoff, Michael H.; Howeth, Jennifer G.; Jensen, Richard A.; Larson, Eric R.; Mandrak, Nicholas E.; Mason, Doran M.; Martinez, Felix A.; Newcomb, Tammy J.; Rothlisberger, John D.; Tucker, Andrew J.; Warziniack, Travis; Zhang, Hongyan., 2016. Risk analysis and bioeconomics of invasive species to inform policy and management
    Warziniack, Travis; Thompson, Matthew P., 2013. Wildfire risk and optimal investments in watershed protection

    Publications

    Nong, Duy; Countryman, Amanda M.; Warziniack, Travis; Grey, Erin K., 2018. Arctic sea routes: Potential new pathways for nonindigenous species spread
    Warziniack, Travis; Elmer, Matthew J.; Miller, Chris J.; Dante-Wood, S. Karen; Woodall, Christopher W.; Nichols, Michael C.; Domke, Grant M.; Stockmann, Keith D.; Proctor, John G.; Borchers, Allison M., 2018. Effects of climate change on ecosystem services [Chapter 13]
    Warziniack, Travis; Lawson, Megan; Dante-Wood, S. Karen, 2018. Effects of climate change on ecosystem services in the Northern Rockies Region [Chapter 11]
    Countryman, Amanda M.; Warziniack, Travis; Grey, Erin, 2018. Implications for U.S. trade and nonindigenous species risk resulting from increased economic integration of the Asia-Pacific Region
    Warziniack, Travis; Champ, Patricia A.; Meldrum, James; Brenkert-Smith, Hannah; Barth, Christopher M.; Falk, Lilia C., 2018. Responding to risky neighbors: Testing for spatial spillover effects for defensible space in a fire-prone WUI community
    Warziniack, Travis; Finnoff, David; Apriesnig, Jenny, 2017. Description of the General Equilibrium Model of Ecosystem Services (GEMES)
    Holmes, Thomas P.; Vose, James; Warziniack, Travis; Holman, Bill, 2017. Forest Ecosystem services: Water resources
    Meldrum, James R.; Falk, Lilia C.; Gomez, Jamie; Barth, Christopher M.; Brenkert-Smith, Hannah; Warziniack, Travis; Champ, Patricia A., 2017. Living with wildfire in Telluride Fire Protection District, Colorado
    Warziniack, Travis; Sham, Chi Ho; Morgan, Robert; Feferholtz, Yasha, 2016. Effects of forest cover on drinking water treatment costs
    Meldrum, James R.; Barth, Christopher M.; Colter Falk, Lilia; Brenkert-Smith, Hannah; Warziniack, Travis; Champ, Patricia A., 2015. Living with wildfire in Delta County, Colorado: cross-community comparisons
    Meldrum, James R.; Champ, Patricia A.; Brenkert-Smith, Hannah; Warziniack, Travis; Barth, Christopher M.; Falk, Lilia C., 2015. Understanding gaps between the risk perceptions of wildland-urban interface (WUI) residents and wildfire professionals
    Warziniack, Travis, 2014. A general equilibrium model of ecosystem services in a river basin
    Meldrum, James R.; Champ, Patricia A.; Warziniack, Travis; Brenkert-Smith, Hannah; Barth, Christopher M.; Falk, Lilia C., 2014. Cost shared wildfire risk mitigation in Log Hill Mesa, Colorado: Survey evidence on participation and willingness to pay
    Meldrum, James R.; Barth, Christopher M.; Falk, Lilia Colter; Brenkert-Smith, Hannah; Warziniack, Travis; Champ, Patricia A., 2013. Living with wildfire in Log Hill Mesa, Colorado
    Warziniack, Travis; Finnoff, David; Shogren, Jason F., 2013. Public economics of hitchhiking species and tourism-based risk to ecosystem services
    Warziniack, Travis, 2012. Degradation and damages from utilizing ecosystem services in a river basin
    Warziniack, Travis; Finnoff, David; Bossenbroek, Jonathan; Shogren, Jason F.; Lodge, David., 2011. Stepping stones for biological invasion: A bioeconomic model of transferable risk
    Warziniack, Travis; Shogren, Jason F.; Parkhurst, Gregory, 2007. Creating contiguous forest habitat: An experimental examination on incentives and communication

    Global trade and the spread of invasive species

    Post date: March 01, 2018
    Scientists, engineers, and economists have joined together to learn more about the link between trade and species spread around the globe. This project is called "The Non-indigenous Species World Risk Assessment and Prediction System." 
    stream

    Effect of forest cover on water treatment costs

    Post date: October 06, 2017
    Intact forests preserve water quality in our lakes and streams, providing cost savings for municipal water providers. American water utilities spend millions of dollars protecting and improving their source water to ensure the delivery of safe drinking water. Knowing the value of this green infrastructure helps communities and land managers better steward the watersheds we rely on and helps the Forest Service better engage with stakeholders in watershed protection.
    Wildfire in a wildland-urban interface (photo by Kari Greer)

    Wildfire risk faced by homeowners in western Colorado

    Post date: August 13, 2015
    Motivated by the combination of high wildfire risk and the concentration of substantial social and economic values within the study area, a collaboration involving the Rocky Mountain Research Station, the Bureau of Land Management, the University of Colorado, and a local wildfire council conducted research on wildfire risk faced by wildland-urban interface homeowners in western Colorado. The unique research effort pairs parcel level wildfire risk assessments conducted by wildfire professionals with residents’ perceptions of wildfire risk.
    A map highlighting different National Forests and Grasslands that will undergo the climate change vulnerability assessment.

    Climate change vulnerability assessments for the Front Range and Colorado National Grasslands

    Post date: April 24, 2019
    Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment in Support of Front Range National Forests and Colorado National Grasslands for Forest Plan Revision, Plan Amendments, and Project-Level Planning.
    Dense dry-mixed conifer forest

    Boise Basin Experimental Forest Project: Science and Management working together to restore dry mixed-conifer forests.

    Post date: October 05, 2018
    Through fire management and riparian ecosystem restoration RMRS researchers Terrie Jain, Kate Dwire, and Travis Warziniack are partnering with the University of Idaho and the Idaho City Ranger District to develop, implement, and evaluate different adaptive management strategies to improve the fire resiliency of the Boise National Forest. 

    Region 4 Science Partner Program: Landscape restoration on the Boise Basin Experimental Forest

    Post date: July 24, 2017
    RMRS researchers Terrie Jain, Kate Dwire, and Travis Warziniack are partnering with managers on the Boise National Forest and scientists at the University of Idaho to develop, implement, and evaluate place-based adaptive management strategies with the goal of improving the resilience of Northern Rockies ponderosa pine stands to fire and other disturbances.
    Indo-Pacific lionfish were introduced into North America via airline delivery for the pet industry and have since spread in the Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea, and Gulf of Mexico (figure from Lodge et al. 2016).

    Global spread of invasive species

    Post date: February 03, 2017
    Thousands of species hitchhike in the ballast water of ships and on a ship’s hull and other exposed surfaces, and many are taking up residence in areas where they previously have not lived. Scientists, engineers, and economists have joined together to learn more about this problem of these species migrating around the globe.
    Land use and climate impacts on hypoxic zone in Gulf of Mexico

    General equilibrium model of ecosystem services (GEMES)

    Post date: April 27, 2015
    GEMES is a coupled economic and ecological model of ecosystem services capable of measuring damages from environmental change and estimating benefits of environmental policy.

    Research Topics: 
    Climate Change; Economics; Ecosystem services; Human response; Hydrology, watersheds, sedimentation; Water; Wildland/urban interface; Natural Resource Management & Use; Ecology, Ecosystems, & Environment; Fire
    National Strategic Program Areas: 
    Invasive Species; Resource Management and Use; Water, Air, and Soil
    National Priority Research Areas: 
    Climate Change; Watershed Management and Restoration
    RMRS Science Program Areas: 
    Air, Water and Aquatic Environments; Human Dimensions