New York City\u27s Drinking Water - Champagne or Beer?

Every day millions of New Yorkers drink the water from the reservoirs of the Hudson Valley. The water from these reservoirs, however, is dangerously contaminated with pathogens such as giardia and cryptosporidium. The New York City Department of Environmental Protection has undertaken measures to correct this problem and prevent further contamination by proposing revised watershed regulations. These proposed regulations, in effect, regulate the way that upstate landowners, whose property is located in a watershed, may use their land. Although the purpose of the proposed regulations is to protect the watersheds, the source of the New York City drinking water, it can only be achieved at the expense of regulating upstate landowners. This article explores the proposed regulations and potential effects it may have on the upstate landowners

Factors Influencing Lease Revenue and Non-industrial Landowners' Willingness to allow Hunting Access

Despite the fact that earnings associated with selling hunting leases could significantly contribute to landowners' incomes, only a small minority of them allow access on their lands for a fee. Based on a sample survey of Mississippi state landowners, we analyzed landowners' willingness to participate in supplying leases as well as factors influencing lease revenue per fee acre. While landowners' decision to allow hunting access and factors influencing lease revenue per acre were jointly modeled consistent with Heckman's analysis of sample selectivity bias, the hunting lease revenue function was specified in accordance with Rosen's hedonic pricing theory. Empirical results showed landowners' concerns about control over their land, loss of privacy and damage to property, and accident liability insurance reduced their willingness to allow hunting access; and, in contrast, increase in total land holding, race and residential location increased the probability of participation. With regards to factors explaining differences in lease revenue per fee acre, analysis showed that location, expertise in managing fee hunting enterprise, provision of services, and certain wildlife habitats account for systematic variations in lease revenues. These findings have implications for landowners' management of their lands, the design of extension programs, and public agencies engaged in the provision of natural resource based recreation.Marginal lands, Mississippi, Incentive programs, Recreation, Wildlife enterprises, Farm Management, Q510, Q260,