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Measuring the Recreational Use Value of Migratory Shorebirds: A Stated Preference Study of Birdwatching on the Delaware Bay
Marine Resource Economics (2010)
  • Kelley H Myers, University of Delaware
  • George R Parsons, University of Delaware
  • Peter E T Edwards
Abstract

In this article we estimate the recreational use value of household trips to view shorebirds during the annual horseshoe crab/shorebird migration on the Delaware Bay. We use contingent valuation to estimate the value of day and overnight trips separately and use a discrete choice question followed by a payment-card question to generate our valuation data. Our best estimates for the value of a day trip is about $66 - $90/household and for an overnight trip is about $200 - $425/household (2008$). Our data are from the 2008 season, and our average household size is 1.66. For some context, estimates from four other studies report values that vary from $63/trip/person to $442/trip/person. These studies vary in method and specific birding populations studied and mix day and overnight trips.

Publication Date
2010
Citation Information
Kelley H Myers, George R Parsons and Peter E T Edwards. "Measuring the Recreational Use Value of Migratory Shorebirds: A Stated Preference Study of Birdwatching on the Delaware Bay" Marine Resource Economics Vol. 25 (2010)
Available at: http://works.bepress.com/george_parsons/13/