Oak Woodland Economics: A Contingent Valuation of Conversion Alternatives
Article comments
This is a United States federal government document and is in the public domain. Published by the USDA Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Research Station.
Abstract
Decisions on how much land should be devoted to oak woodland preservation is ultimately determined by society's valuation of its benefits and relative scarcity. Scarcity value can be measured by people's willingness-to-pay (WTP) to prevent oak woodland conversion to higher value land uses. In this study, we used the contingent valuation (CV) method to estimate WTP for oak woodland preservation in San Luis Obispo County (over 700,000 acres). Estimates ranged between $75 and $83 per voter, providing only about $12 million for land or easement purchases.
Suggested Citation
Richard P. Thompson, Jay E. Noel, and Sarah P. Cross. 2002. "Oak Woodland Economics: A Contingent Valuation of Conversion Alternatives" USDA Forest Service General Technical Report: PSW-GTR-184
Available at: http://works.bepress.com/jnoel/12