CHARACTERISTICS OF NATURE-BASED TOURISM ENTERPRISES IN NORTH DAKOTA

Recreational activities related to North Dakota's wealth of natural resources are well-established in North Dakota. In recent years, North Dakota's abundant resources have attracted visitors from around the country and the world. In addition to providing recreational activities for residents and visitors alike, natural resource-based tourism is a basic sector that may have considerable potential for creating economic opportunities in rural areas. Recognition of the potential importance of resource-based tourism to rural economies is well-advanced in other parts of the United States. However, little attention has historically been paid to tourism in North Dakota. While much anecdotal evidence exists suggesting that natural resource-based tourism is growing in North Dakota, no basic research on the sector has to date been completed. The goal of this study is to identify and analyze existing agricultural and natural resource-based tourism enterprises in North Dakota.nature-based tourism, outdoor recreation, enterprise characteristics, rural businesses, economic development, Resource /Energy Economics and Policy,

LOCAL SOCIOECONOMIC IMPACTS OF THE CONSERVATION RESERVE PROGRAM

The Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), first enacted in 1985, seeks to achieve both conservation and agricultural supply control objectives through voluntary, long-term (10 year contracts) retirement of cropland. By fall 2000, the program had enrolled about 31.4 million acres nationwide, and North Dakota ranked third among the states, with 3.2 million contracted acres, or 11 percent of the state's total cropland. Although long-term land retirement offers a variety of environmental benefits, as well as providing a stable income to participating landowners, large-scale land retirement can pose adverse economic impacts for nearby communities, primarily because agricultural supply and service sector businesses may be adversely affected. This study was undertaken to examine the local socioeconomic effects of the Conservation Reserve Program in rural areas of North Dakota. Interviews with agricultural and community leaders in six rural areas of North Dakota revealed that the CRP was perceived to have both positive and negative effects. The program was considered a substantial benefit to landowners, providing them with a guaranteed income from some of their least productive land. In addition, the environmental benefits of the program, including reduced soil erosion, improved water quality, and enhanced wildlife populations, were widely recognized. Negative effects cited by the leaders focused on the adverse impacts of cropland retirement on the farm supply and service sector and the role of the CRP in declining farm numbers and rural depopulation. A survey of more than 1,000 CRP contract holders provided additional perspective regarding the program's effects. Leading reasons for enrolling land in the CRP were to reduce erosion/increase soil fertility (24%), reduce income risk (23%), CRP was economically attractive (22%), and provide a transition to retirement (11%). The contract holders also reported that the land they enrolled in the CRP had lower yields than other land in the area, by an average of 5 percent. Forty-two percent of the respondents had enrolled 150 acres or less and only 21 percent had enrolled more than 450 acres. Of the contract holders who had once farmed but were no longer farming, only 23 percent indicated that the CRP influenced their decision to quit farming. On the other hand, of the respondents who were currently farming, 31 percent indicated that the CRP had been instrumental in keeping them on the farm. When the leaders were asked for suggestions to improve the program, their responses reflected three major themes. One group felt that the CRP should focus on highly erodible land and that recent changes in enrollment criteria have allowed too much productive farmland to be enrolled. Another group of respondents argued for periodic haying of the CRP land (e.g., every third or fourth year), a measure they thought that would both improve the wildlife habitat value of the land and provide a feed base for livestock producers. Finally, a number of leaders in each study area suggested options to increase recreational access to CRP land. They believe that increased economic activity associated with recreational activities (primarily hunting) may offer their communities a means to offset some of the economic losses associated with land retirement.Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), cropland retirement, socioeconomic impacts, costs and benefits, Land Economics/Use,

RURAL ECONOMIC EFFECTS OF THE CONSERVATION RESERVE PROGRAM IN NORTH DAKOTA

The Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), enacted in 1985, provides conservation benefits and agricultural supply control through voluntary, long-term retirement of crop land. Large-scale, long-term land retirement programs produce, in varying degrees, negative effects on those businesses and economic sectors that provide agricultural inputs and services. While the effects of the CRP on agriculture are well understood, economic assessments of the market-value of conservation benefits from the program accruing to rural economies remains largely undocumented. One of the conservation benefits of the program is wildlife habitat, which has bolstered upland bird, waterfowl, and big game populations. Growing wildlife populations have contributed to increased consumptive and non-consumptive wildlife-based recreation. This study addressed the net economic effects of decreased agricultural activity and increased recreational activity associated with the CRP in six rural areas of North Dakota from 1996 through 2000. The negative effects of the CRP on agricultural revenues were based on the level of economic activity that would have occurred in the absence of the program. The net change in revenues from CRP land returning to agricultural production in the six study areas was estimated at $76 million or about$56 per CRP-acre. However, returning CRP lands to agricultural production was estimated to lower commodity prices and reduce agricultural revenues on non-CRP lands by $25.9 million. The combined effect was estimated at$50.2 million annually or $37 per CRP-acre in the study areas. The CRP affects many types of outdoor recreation; however, hunting was identified as the most influenced type of recreation in North Dakota. Recreational impacts were determined by comparing pheasant, waterfowl, and deer hunter numbers before and after the CRP, assigning the relative role the CRP has played in the change in hunter numbers, allocating a percentage of the change in hunter numbers to each study area, and applying seasonal hunter expenditure patterns to the change in hunter numbers. Average annual CRP-related hunter expenditures in the six study areas were estimated at$12.8 million or $9.45 per CRP-acre. Overall, recreational revenues averaged 26 percent of the agricultural losses. The degree to which CRP-based hunting revenues in rural areas offset agricultural losses varied throughout the state. In several cases, hunting expenditures offset a substantial portion of the agricultural losses, while in other areas, the net economic loss from the program remains high. The net economic effects of the program in western and central North Dakota were the most favorable, whereas the effects were least favorable in eastern areas of the state. In North Dakota, the net economic effect of losses in agricultural revenues and gains in hunting-based recreational expenditures indicated that several areas of the state are not as economically burdened by the CRP as previous research has suggested.Conservation Reserve Program, Economic Impacts, Rural Economies, Land Economics/Use,

PERCEPTIONS OF LEAFY SPURGE AND EVALUATION OF THE TEAM LEAFY SPURGE PROJECT, BY PUBLIC LAND MANAGERS, LOCAL DECISION MAKERS, AND RANCH OPERATORS

Leafy spurge is an exotic, noxious, perennial weed which is widely established in the north central United States and is an especially serious problem in the northern Great Plains (Bangsund et al. 1999). In 1997, the Agriculture Research Service and Animal Plant Health Inspection Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, initiated a major Integrated Pest Management (IPM) research and demonstration project to develop and demonstrate ecologically based IPM strategies that can produce effective, affordable leafy spurge control. In 1998 and 1999, a survey of ranchers and public land managers was conducted to evaluate managerial, institutional, and social factors that might affect the rate and extent of implementation of various control strategies. In 2001, a second survey of the same ranchers and public land managers was conducted to (1) assess any changes in land managers' perceptions of weed problems, control alternatives, and related issues, and (2) evaluate the impact of the TEAM Leafy Spurge project on the respondent's weed control practices. The impacts of noxious weeds on grazing operations, specifically leafy spurge, are not abating, and ranchers seem more aware than ever of the severity of the problem. A slightly larger percentage of respondents in 2001 view leafy spurge as a major problem and the most serious problem for grazing operations than in 1998 and 1999. Heightened awareness among landowners may also be linked to TEAM Leafy Spurge's efforts to inform landowners of the problem and offer affordable, effective weed management techniques. While the use of biological control methods, specifically flea beetles, has grown, herbicides continue to be the control practice of choice. While slightly fewer respondents reported using herbicides in 2001 than in 1998 and 1999, the vast majority of landowners plan to continue to use herbicides. Over 50 percent of respondents are using biological control, and over 76 percent of respondents indicated flea beetles were either somewhat or very effective in controlling leafy spurge. Nearly half of the respondents had heard of TEAM Leafy Spurge, and all TEAM Leafy Spurge demonstration sites, events, and publications were favorably rated. A large majority of the respondents agreed that the program had been effective in demonstrating and communicating leafy spurge treatment and control options. Based on the results of the 2001 survey, it would appear that the program has indeed made progress in communicating the type of information landowners need to address what continues to be a significant issue for grazing operations in the Midwest.leafy spurge, noxious weeds, weed management, rancher opinion, Land Economics/Use,

RANCH OPERATORS' PERCEPTIONS OF LEAFY SPURGE MANAGEMENT AND EVALUATION OF THE TEAM LEAFY SPURGE PROJECT

Leafy spurge is an exotic, noxious, perennial weed which is widely established in the north central United States and is an especially serious problem in the northern Great Plains (Bangsund et al. 1999). In 1997, the Agriculture Research Service and the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, initiated a major Integrated Pest Management (IPM) research and demonstration project to develop and demonstrate ecologically based IPM strategies that can produce effective, affordable leafy spurge control. In 1998 and 1999, a survey of ranchers and public land managers was conducted to evaluate managerial, institutional, and social factors that might affect the rate and extent of implementation of various control strategies. In 2001, a second survey of the same ranchers and public land managers was conducted to (1) assess any changes in land managers' perceptions of weed problems, control alternatives, and related issues, and (2) evaluate the impact of the TEAM Leafy Spurge project on the respondent's weed control practices. The impacts of noxious weeds on grazing operations, specifically leafy spurge, are not abating, and ranchers seem more aware than ever of the severity of the problem. A slightly larger percentage of respondents in 2001 view leafy spurge as a major problem and the most serious problem for grazing operations than in 1998 and 1999. Heightened awareness among landowners may also be linked to TEAM Leafy Spurge's efforts to inform landowners of the problem and offer affordable, effective weed management techniques. While the use of biological control methods, specifically flea beetles, has grown, herbicides continue to be the control practice of choice. While slightly fewer respondents reported using herbicides in 2001 than in 1998 and 1999, the vast majority of landowners plan to continue to use herbicides. Over 50 percent of respondents are using biological control and over 76 percent of respondents indicated flea beetles were either somewhat or very effective in controlling leafy spurge. Nearly half of the respondents had heard of TEAM Leafy Spurge, and all TEAM Leafy Spurge demonstration sites, events, and publications were favorably rated. A large majority of the respondents agreed that the program had been effective in demonstrating and communicating leafy spurge treatment and control options. Based on the results of the 2001 survey, it would appear that the program has indeed made progress in communicating the type of information landowners need to address what continues to be a significant issue for grazing operations in the Midwest.leafy spurge, noxious weeds, weed management, rancher opinion, Crop Production/Industries,

ASSESSMENT OF THE EXTENT AND SUCCESS OF LEAFY SPURGE BIOLOGICAL CONTROL AGENTS

Leafy spurge is an exotic, noxious, perennial weed which is widely established in the north central United States and is an especially serious problem in the northern Great Plains. In 1997, the Agricultural Research Service and the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), initiated a major Integrated Pest Management (IPM) research and demonstration project, TEAM Leafy Spurge (TLS), to develop and demonstrate ecologically based IPM strategies that can produce effective, affordable leafy spurge control. A key component of the project was to expand the use of biological control (biocontrol) agents, specifically flea beetles. To assess the level of insect establishment and the level of current and perceived future control of leafy spurge, a mail survey was conducted of 468 individuals who obtained biocontrol agents (insects) at TLS-sponsored events, as well as County Weed Boards in North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana, and Wyoming. Respondents reported basic information about the number and characteristics of release sites, characteristics of leafy spurge stands, as well as the level of control to date and perceived level of eventual control. Substantial numbers of landowners and County Weed Boards have utilized biocontrol agents as part of their leafy spurge control efforts, as well as collected flea beetles from release sites for redistribution. Respondents indicated biocontrol efforts are affecting at least some level of control and, in some cases, reported substantial reductions in spurge stands.leafy spurge, biological control, Apthona lacertosa/czwalinae, flea beetle, noxious weeds, weed management, Resource /Energy Economics and Policy,

ESTIMATING THE CONTRIBUTION OF THE FARGODOME TO THE AREA ECONOMY

Tourism has become an important economic sector in many parts of the world, and many regions, states, and local areas are increasingly looking to expenditures by visitors as a potential source of economic growth. Some communities have developed facilities to host sports events or other forms of entertainment to attract out-of-town visitors. Thus, the multi-purpose sports arena/auditorium has joined the industrial park as a community economic development initiative. This paper estimates the economic contribution of a multi-purpose sports and auditorium facility located in Fargo, North Dakota. Since opening its doors in December of 1992, the FARGODOME has hosted a wide variety of sporting events (e.g., college and high school football, rodeo, professional basketball), concerts, trade shows, and other forms of entertainment (e.g., ice shows, circuses, motor sports events). The purpose of this study was to estimate the contribution that FARGODOME event attendees and participants make to the Fargo area economy. The assessment process included (1) determining the residency and expenditure patterns of event attendees and participants, (2) estimating the aggregate direct economic contribution to the area economy by combining event attendee attributes and expenditures with FARGODOME records of the number of events held at the facility and attendance at each, and (3) estimating the secondary economic impacts associated with the FARGODOME's direct economic contribution. Event attendees' and participants' (e.g., exhibitors, athletes, and accompanying persons) place of residence and expenditures were obtained through intercept surveys of attendees/participants at selected FARGODOME events. The expenditures made directly by the FARGODOME to local entities (i.e., for payroll, benefits, utilities, etc.) were added to the attendees'/participants' expenditures outside the facility to arrive at the total direct economic impact (contribution) to the Fargo area. Then, the North Dakota Input-Output Model was used to estimate the secondary (multiplier) effects resulting from FARGODOME activities. Economic impacts will be reported using indicators such as gross business volume (gross receipts) of various economic sectors (e.g., retail trade), personal income, and employment.economic impacts, visitor spending, sports events, Public Economics, Resource /Energy Economics and Policy,

Potential Economic Effects of Post-CRP Land Management in Southwest North Dakota

The uncertain future of the Conservation Reserve Program has created substantial interest for agricultural producers, rural businesses, community leaders, sportsmen, and wildlife organizations. Many regions of the upper Great Plains have participated heavily in the CRP as evidenced by program acreage reaching land enrollment limits; however, current enrollment and re-enrollment criterion are expected to substantially reduce CRP acreage in many parts of the Great Plains. The divergence of interests between pursing post-CRP lands for agricultural production versus retaining the wildlife habitat and wildlife populations supported on CRP lands presents land owners and agricultural producers with important land management decisions over the next several years. This research examines the regional economic implications of post-CRP land use among traditional agricultural uses, wildlife production, and multiple-use practices. Of particular interest is whether multiple-use management on post-CRP lands can produce similar returns to landowners and producers as traditional land uses, and determine the effects of multiple-use management on post-CRP lands on regional economic output. A multiple-use system implemented on post-CRP lands based primarily on beef grazing while producing corn and barley for forage and retaining a portion of acreage in dedicated wildlife habitat would not compete economically with other conventional land uses. The net change in gross receipts within the regional economy from agricultural uses of post-CRP lands exceeded lost recreational expenditures in all scenarios evaluated.North Dakota, Conservation Reserve Program, Recreation, Agriculture, Land Management, Environmental Economics and Policy, Land Economics/Use,

Economic Impact of Leafy Spurge on Grazing Land and Wildland in North Dakota

A variety of undesirable plants pose problems for managers of grazing land and/or wildland because they reduce the land\u27s usefulness for livestock grazing or are detrimental to its other functions, such as wildlife habitat or watershed protection. The purpose of this study was to assess the direct and secondary economic impacts of leafy spurge infestations in North Dakota. This involved estimating the extent of leafy spurge infestations on grazing land and wildland, estimating the effects of the infestation on the outputs of both types of land, estimating the direct economic effects of these changes in outputs, and using input-output analysis to estimate the secondary economic effects accruing to other sectors of the state economy

Performance Measures Using Electronic Health Records: Five Case Studies

Presents the experiences of five provider organizations in developing, testing, and implementing four types of electronic quality-of-care indicators based on EHR data. Discusses challenges, and compares results with those from traditional indicators