Essays in Nonmarket Valuation
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Date
2019-09-18
Authors
Wheeler, William
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
University of Oregon
Abstract
This dissertation focuses on the valuation of nonmarket goods using travel cost models of recreation demand. An accurate and up-to-date understanding of the value of public lands and nonmarket environmental goods is integral to benefit-cost analyses of public lands policies and policies that affect environmental amenities. The present work is motivated by the importance of these benefit-cost analyses and the methods used to value nonmarket amenities. In Chapter II, I examine demand for federally-managed campgrounds in California and consider how changes in campsite attributes or availability would affect consumer welfare. I develop a novel definition of the consideration set to include available sites at different available times over the course of the remaining season to capture the role that intertemporal substitution plays in these nonmarket valuation estimates. In Chapter III, I use campground demand to estimate the value of environmental amenities in the locality of the campgrounds people choose to visit. I use the fitted model to calculate the welfare impact of weather changes associated with projected climate change under two emissions scenarios and find that the lower emissions scenario results in 40% smaller welfare losses on average. In Chapter IV, I use remotely-sensed historical wildfire data to explore the relationship between campground demand and the effects of wildfire. Consistent with other research, I find that recent wildfires increase the utility associated with a particular recreational trip; though, this positive effect is attenuated if the burns were particularly severe.
Description
Keywords
Benefit-Cost Analysis, Camping, Nonmarket Valuation, Recreation Demand, Revealed Preference, RUM Site Choice