Quantifying the recreation use value of New England natural lands

Abstract

It is well recognized that natural land is of great importance, and measures of the value of natural lands are required when making data-driven policy decisions between land development and land preservation. One of the most important values of natural land areas is the recreational services provided. In this study, we estimate the recreation use value provided by the natural land in New England. Specifically, we apply the travel cost method to calculate the total consumer surplus for hunting, fishing, and wildlife-watching in the New England region. We also investigate whether and how people from households of different demographic backgrounds have different recreational habits. Using data from the National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, & Wildlife-Associated Recreation, we found that New England natural lands provide a remarkable amount of recreation use value—$88 billion per year to U.S. citizens who partake in wildlife-related activities. Our estimates can serve as input for economic projection and policy analysis models and allow more equitable and appropriate data-driven policy decisions.

Keywords

• Recreation use value
• Travel cost method
• Consumer surplus
• National survey of fishing, hunting, & wildlife-associated recreation