Associate Professor
University of Idaho
Moscow, Idaho, United States
Dr. Latta is a Research Associate Professor of Forest Economics in the Department of Natural Resources and Society and Director of the Policy Analysis Group in the College of Natural Resources, at the University of Idaho. His work focuses on simulating policy impacts on markets using mathematical optimization techniques. As a member of the Forest and Agricultural Sector Optimization Model with Greenhouse Gases (FASOM-GHG) development team, Dr. Latta has extensive experience in modeling the nexus of agricultural, forest and energy markets. For over a decade, FASOM-GHG has been the primary bioenergy modeling tool for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in climate-related energy policy evaluations such as indirect emissions associated with biofuels under the Renewable Fuels Standards and the recent biogenic accounting framework. Regionally, he produced marginal costs curves for logging residue derived feedstocks as part of the Northwest Advanced Renewables Alliance (NARA). In November of 2016 the NARA project resulted in the world’s first commercial flight using a new sustainable alternative jet fuel. He also collaborates with researchers at the Norwegian University of Life Sciences in developing more detailed models of the Norwegian forest and bioenergy sectors. He is coauthor on multiple forest carbon offset methodologies and one of the founders of the Forest Carbon Quantification Consortium of researchers focused on scientific analyses designed to inform offset methodologies being developed and applied across registries. Dr. Latta served as vice president of the Western Forest Economists in 2011, president in 2012, and is currently deputy coordinator for research group 9.02.00 focused on Forest sector analysis of the International Union of Forest Research Organizations.
An Evaluation of Extent and Opportunities for Idaho’s Old Growth and Mature Forests
Thursday, September 19, 2024
9:00 AM – 9:30 AM MST
