Recreation Benefits of U.S. Parks

Over 90 percent of people living in the United States participate in some type of outdoor recreation, from walking the dog to rock climbing. These activities increase a person’s well-being and are examples of recreation benefits. These benefits can be measured by using a variety of available techniques to calculate consumer surplus values. Consumer surplus values for recreation in U.S. parks were collated from an extensive literature review. Studies conducted between 1967 and 2003 yielded over 1,200 observations of non-market benefits. From this meta-analysis, it was determined that an average day of recreation in U.S. parks provide people with a non-market benefit of $60.50/day (2006 US$). With an estimated 924 million visitor days, the benefit of outdoor recreation on federal park lands during 2006 was estimated at $54.7 billion dollars. This analysis did not include state, county, and city parks, and hence the total benefit of outdoor recreation in all U.S. parks would be significantly higher

US Park recreation values (1968-2003): A review of the literature

The results of outdoor recreation consumer surplus studies for national parks, national forests, state parks and state forests in the United States from 1968 through 2003 are compared and analyzed across activity type, locational region, and park designation. The resulting data set includes 1,229 observations, spanning 36 years, 28 types of activities, and 106 locations. All consumer surplus data were converted to 2006 United States dollars per person per day for comparison purposes. It was discovered that activity and park type played a significant role in consumer surplus values. Activities such as mountain biking, windsurfing, and rock-climbing were among the highest valued activities while visiting environmental education centers was the lowest. When comparing park types, it was found that on average, activities at National Parks had higher values than national forests, state parks, or state forests. This meta-analysis is the most extensive literature review in the history of non-market consumer surplus values for outdoor recreation in the United States ever conducted and should prove beneficial to anyone seeking information on outdoor recreation studies as well as those wishing to conduct a benefit transfer analysis for their own land management area

Toward the Integration of Economics and Outdoor Recreation Management

The general theme of this bulletin is that improved management of public-sector recreational resources is a multidisciplinary task. To this end, we attempt to integrate elements of outdoor recreation management theory and economics. The bulletin is written for both resource managers and researchers. For the former, our intent is to emphasize the importance of being aware of economic implications-at least conceptually-of management actions that influence the character and availability of recreational opportunities. To researchers involved in developing recreation management theory, we draw attention to the parallel between recreation management theory and the traditional managerial economic model of the firm. To economists, particularly those involved in developing and applying nonmarket valuation techniques, we draw attention to the types of decisions faced by resource managers. We argue that the most important resource allocation issues are of the incremental variety, so nonmarket valuation should also yield incremental values. These values alone, however, are not sufficient economic input into rational public choice analysis. The missing link , or nexus, between outdoor recreation management theory and economic analysis is the integration of supply and demand, as called for by traditional managerial economics. Collaborative research to develop recreation supply response functions akin to agricultural production functions is an essential step that is missing from both literatures. Theoretical and applied work assume greater practical importance if they feed information into this broadened framework. It is our hope that this bulletin will bring the disciplines closer to that realization

Recreation, tourism and nature in a changing world : proceedings of the fifth international conference on monitoring and management of visitor flows in recreational and protected areas : Wageningen, the Netherlands, May 30-June 3, 2010

Proceedings of the fifth international conference on monitoring and management of visitor flows in recreational and protected areas : Wageningen, the Netherlands, May 30-June 3, 201

Hybridizing old downtown Suwon City: how new urban fabric may save the past

In response to paradigm shifts of environmental, social and economic methods at the local and global scales, new approaches are required for creating alternative urban models which emphasize sustainability and landscape productivity. The Old Downtown of Suwon City, South Korea, which is encompassed by the Hwaseong Fortress and designated by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site, is currently experiencing challenges between preservation and development – past and future. This thesis investigates sustainable and productive urban tactics to mediate this conflict. The primary focus of these tactics is the re-organization of land use towards more efficient and productive models born of contemporary science, technology, and culture, while simultaneously embracing and preserving key aspects of the city’s heritage

A PROPOSED METHODOLOGY FOR ESTIMATING ECOREGIONAL VALUES FOR OUTDOOR RECREATION IN THE UNITED STATES

This paper provides a methodology for the estimation of recreational demand functions and values using an ecoregional approach. Ten ecoregions in the continental US were defined based on similarly functioning ecosystem characters. The individual travel cost method was employed to estimate the recreational demand functions for activities such as motorboating and waterskiing, developed and primative camping, coldwater fishing, sightseeing and pleasure driving, and big game hunting for each ecoregions. Estimates of per trip net income value range from $12.93 to$218.38 while per day estimates range from $4.31 to$109.19. While our ecoregional approach differs conceptually from previous work, our results appear consistent with the previous travel cost method valuation studies. (Missing tables 1,2,3,4,5 and 6)Recreation, ecoregion, travel cost method, truncated poisson model, Resource /Energy Economics and Policy,

Accounting for Geographic Heterogeneity in Recreation Demand Models

Spatial differences in site characteristics and user populations may result in heterogeneity of recreation preferences and values across geographic regions. Non-linear mixed effects models provide a potential means of accounting for this heterogeneity. This approach was tested by estimating a national-level recreation demand model with encouraging results.Resource /Energy Economics and Policy,

Understanding the Marketing and Management of trails using PESTEL Analysis

Trails are an important resource for local communities because they provide health, social, economical, and environmental benefits (“Headwaters Economics”, 2016). When trails are made accessible in towns, it facilitates communal connection, draws in tourists, increases support for conservation lands, and creates safer trails. Trails are valuable to towns because they are an integral piece of their livelihood, therefore the management of trails should be researched to understand how to sustain public use. For this study, twelve (N = 12) conservation commissioners, town managers, and other trail stakeholders from two counties in a Northeastern state were interviewed about how they manage their trails. Results of the study were analyzed and coded, utilizing a marketing theory called PESTEL. Six PESTEL categories were used to interpret stakeholder comments on how trails are managed. The findings of the research show how managing and marketing trails to promote access and use could potentially maximize trail benefits for town communities

Guidelines for Economic Evaluation of Public Sector Water Resource Projects

Water development plays an important role in the economy of states and regions. However, procedures for estimating the expected net worth of proposed projects have never been simple, and results have rarely been without controversy. This report presents some guidelines for the application of economic evaluation procedures in project analysis of public sector water development in North Dakota. A brief history of North Dakota water development and two case studies of North Dakota water projects are included in this report.Resource /Energy Economics and Policy,

Assessing the recreational demand for agricultural land in Finland

It is widely assumed that the scenic attractiveness and other public good aspects of agricultural land can be utilized as a source of livelihood in rural areas in the form of recreation and tourism. In this study we use two approaches to consider whether agricultural landscapes are preferred as a destination for recreation (day trips) and rural tourism (overnight trips). We first analyse the choice of recreation site type based on a model that aggregates sites using the presence of agricultural land as an aggregation variable. Population survey data on recreation trips reveal an association between the respondent’s living environment, recreational activities and visit characteristics and the probability of choosing a destination with agricultural land. Second, we also estimate the demand functions for trips to agricultural sites and other destination types to consider whether the presence of agricultural land, as opposed to other land use categories, increases the number of trips and the benefits of recreation. The results suggest that agricultural landscapes are inferior to alternative site types in terms of per-trip benefits. However, agricultural landscapes are associated with high annual benefits because of the high rate of visitation