Targeting Conservation Investments in Heterogeneous Landscapes: A distance function approach and application to watershed management

To achieve a given level of an environmental amenity at least cost, decision-makers must integrate information about spatially variable biophysical and economic conditions. Although the biophysical attributes that contribute to supplying an environmental amenity are often known, the way in which these attributes interact to produce the amenity is often unknown. Given the difficulty in converting multiple attributes into a unidimensional physical measure of an environmental amenity (e.g., habitat quality), analyses in the academic literature tend to use a single biophysical attribute as a proxy for the environmental amenity (e.g., species richness). A narrow focus on a single attribute, however, fails to consider the full range of biophysical attributes that are critical to the supply of an environmental amenity. Drawing on the production efficiency literature, we introduce an alternative conservation targeting approach that relies on distance functions to cost-efficiently allocate conservation funds across a spatially heterogeneous landscape. An approach based on distance functions has the advantage of not requiring a parametric specification of the amenity function (or cost function), but rather only requiring that the decision-maker identify important biophysical and economic attributes. We apply the distance-function approach empirically to an increasingly common, but little studied, conservation initiative: conservation contracting for water quality objectives. The contract portfolios derived from the distance-function application have many desirable properties, including intuitive appeal, robust performance across plausible parametric amenity measures, and the generation of ranking measures that can be easily used by field practitioners in complex decision-making environments that cannot be completely modeled. Working Paper # 2002-01

Pamphlets - homoeopathic.

-- Work of the National Association of Homoeopathic Members of Examining and Licensing Boards / H.M. Paine -- Pabula Neonatorum, a guide to the feeding of infants / G.B. Peck -- Treatment of scarlatina and measles / G.B. Peck -- Flotsam and jetsam / O.S. Runnels -- Constitution and by-laws, code of ethics, officers and members / Southern Homoeopathic Medical Association -- Science and homoeopathy / F.P. WebsterLetter to the members of the American Institute from A.B. Norton / American Institute of Homeopathy -- Important notice to the members of the American Institute of Homoeopathy in relation to the repertory of the Cyclopaedia of Drug Pathogenesy / R. Hughes -- Constitution and by-laws / American Institute of Homeopathy -- Code of medical ethics, constitution, by-laws, and list of members of the American Institute of Homoeopathy / American Institute of Homeopathy -- Homoeopathy in the public service / B.F.Bailey -- Proof of the law of similia from the electro-chemico-physiological standpoint / E.H.S. Bailey -- Two cases of brain tumor : a contribution to cerebral surgery / C. Bartlett -- Concerning Hensel's Tonicum... / Boericke & Tafel -- Homoeopathy : some observations in regard to its progress for forty years / G.W. Bowen -- Tubercular cystitis / B.G. Carleton -- Proving of the Apis Mellifica / Central New-York Homoeopathic Society -- On supra-pubic cystotomy and catheterization as a guide in perineal section for obliterative urethritis / H. Crutcher -- Test at the bed-side / P. Dudley -- Dietetic, climatic and hygienic treatment of tuberculosis / F.A. Faust -- Concordance repertory, of the well proven and most reliable symptoms of the homoeopathic Materia Medica / W.D. Gentry -- Sanitation on the farm / W.B. Hinsdale -- June number of the New England Medical Gazette...contains a paper... / Editor of Homoeopathic Recorder -- Samuel Hahnemann : a lecture / H.P. Holmes -- Urine of uro-genital tuberculosis / G.F. Laidlaw -- Plea for homeopathic solidarity and independent work / S. Leavitt -- Ups and downs of a doctor's life, being the closing lecture of the course delivered in the Hahnemann Medical College for the session of 1863-64 / R. Ludlam -- Study of Materia Medica / C. Mohr -- Twentieth century homoeopathy / J.H. Moore -- Spinal Affections / E.A. Murphy, M.D. -- Yellow fever, its treatment and prevention / E.A. Murphy, M.D.Mode of access: Internet

Constructing a Planning Regime: Assessing the Beginning Phases of New Jersey's Plan for Development and Redevelopment

Using the idea of regime formation and cooperation in international political economy as a guide, this paper assesses the first stage (Cross-cceptance) of implementing the New Jersey stateplanning process as an attempt to construct a base of mutually shared norms and interests between state and local governments in the area of land use planning. The conclusion is that the first round of implementation was instrumental in building norms and consensus-especially in the face of strong resistance to state planning from the policy environment. The main reason for the effectiveness of the Cross-Acceptance process was that it brought local, county and state officials to a forum where they were able to discuss areas of consensus and discord. Copyright 1992 by The Policy Studies Organization.