Contingent Valuation/Recreational Values

Updated 08/25/2009

This web site contains a collection of information for NRCS to use for contingent valuation of recreational activities for watershed planning and other NRCS economic purposes. The Unit Day Method is the most common method used for calculating recreational benefits for NRCS usage, but it is based on 1962 data which provided an average value of $1.00 per day, +/- some quality differences. That 1962 value was indexed to the 1982 values used in P&G by CPI, and these values should be in-turn be indexed to current values by current CPI. This method can be used for insignificant recreational calculations for watershed analysis, but economists should note that the values obtained are highly conservative, averaging perhaps 20% of the current values from actual Recreational Economics studies using other methods. If the recreational benefits have any potential for affecting the selection of the NED or Recommended Plans, economists are highly advised to adopt applicable contingent valuation or travel costs methods.  While the cost and time requirements of obtaining actual survey data on specific proposed NRCS projects is often prohibitive, NRCS economists are encouraged to use the benefit transfer method developed by the US Forest Service.   This Benefit Transfer method was updated in October 2005, and the database was updated to 1,200 values.

• The 2006 National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated Recreation has surveyed usage and expenditures for these activities. This is the most common basis for computing RED regional sales based on recreation.
• Wildlife Watching in the U.S.: The Economic Impacts on National and State Economies in 2006
  Addendum to the 2006 National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated Recreation. Report 2006-1 (PDF, 750kb)
• The Economic Value of Iowa’s Natural Resources
• West Tarkio Creek Watershed Plan | Iowa NRCS
• Recreation Evaluation of the Multiple Purpose Reservoir for East Locus Creek Watershed, MO completed by Lauren Cartwright, MO. (DOC, 177kb)
• New Comparison Study of 1200 Recreational Studies by the Forest Service that has US and Regional Average User Day Values by type of activity ((XLS, 1.47 MB).  These values can be used for computing NED Regional Economic Benefits. It was used as the database for the 2005 study, Updated Outdoor Recreation Use Values on National Forests and Other Public Lands.  (PDF, 500kb
• CECW-CP  USACE Economics Guidance Memorandum, 06-03, Unit Day Values for Recreation, FY2006 (PDF, 440kb)
• USACE NED Procedures Manual, Volume I, Recreation Use and Benefit Estimation Techniques, March, 1986 (PDF, 10mb)
• A spreadsheet for calculating the updated points for the unit day values.  (XLS, 18kb)
• Benefits Transfer and Valuation Databases:  Are We Heading in the Right Direction?  a workshop jointly sponsored by the U.S. EPA's National Center for Environmental Economics and Environment Canada.
•  Water Quality Economic  and Trout Fishing Evaluation for Braddock Run, Maryland.  A study by John, Long, NRCS, using Willingness to Pay and Travel Cost Estimates to estimate benefits for a PL-566 project. (PDF, 64kb)
• Older Comparison Study of 700 Recreational Studies by the Forest Service that has US and Regional Average User Day Values by type of activity (0.99 MB).  These values can be used for computing NED Regional Economic Benefits. It was used as the database for the 2001 study, Benefit Transfer of Outdoor Recreation Use Values: a Technical Document Supporting the Forest Service Strategic Plan (2000 Revision). General Technical Report RMRS-GTR-72. Fort Collins, CO: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station. 59p.
• Social and Economic Values in Natural Resource Planning, USFS
• A Bibliography Related to Recreation Fees on Public Land compiled by Daniel W. McCollum and Annette Puttkammer, USFS
• Southwick Associates have made information on the economic contributions of hunting on a state-by-state basis available free. The research is based on expenditure data from USFWS National Survey (see above). Go to the "Free Reports" section and select the 2001 report titled "U.S. - 2001 Economic Impacts of Hunting". They continually have additional tables and reports coming out.
• http://www.ecosystemvaluation.org/, Essentials of Ecosystem Valuation
• Economic Valuation of Natural Resources: A Guidebook for Coastal Resources Policymakers
  
  

Lakeshore Property Values and Water Quality:

• Evidence from property sales in the Mississippi Headwaters Region  (PDF, 1.68 MB)
• A spreadsheet for calculating the updated points for the unit day values.  (XLS, 18.5 KB)
• These calculations are based on Principles and Guidelines for Water Resource Projects, Appendix 3 to Section Vlll, Pages 83-85.  (PDF, 1.18 MB)
• For reference usage, also note the NRCS National Watershed Manual, and the NRCS National Economic Handbooks:
  Part 611 NRCS National Water Resources Handbook for Economics (PDF, 855 KB)
  Part 612 NRCS National Resource Economics Handbook, Water Quality (PDF, 4.48 MB)

The US Army Corps of Engineers has a number of survey studies of actual camper, boater, hunter, and visitor expenditures at and around parks, campgrounds, and lakes.

Corps recreation expenditures studies (survey results):

• Upper Mississippi River System Visitors Spending, List of Tables
• Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission
• Economic Impacts of Recreation on the Upper Mississippi River System (UMRS)
• Economic Impact Analysis as a Tool in Recreation Program Evaluation

Other recreation expenditure related websites

• The 2006 National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated Recreation
• 1996 National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated Recreation
• Nature-Oriented Visitors and Their Expenditures:  Upper San Pedro River Basin
• Use of IMPLAN to Access Economic Impacts of Recreation and Tourism:  Chronology and Trends, by Dennis B. Propst
• Estimating National Park Visitor Spending and Economic Impacts; The MGM2 Model
• Maine Audubon, Connecting People with Nature

Other Studies

Number	Subject	Agency	Date
FHW/01-NAT	All FS Research Publications In This Database	USDA/FS	2002
	2001 National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated Recreation Executive Summary	Census USF&W	05-02
paperid=3797	The Value of Sport Fishing in the Snake River Basin of Central Idaho	U. Idaho Quinnipiac University	01-02
	IEc's Sportfishing Database on the Web	IEc/FWS	07-01
Rev.of AgEcon 32, pgs. 120-132	Nonpoint Source Pollution and Present Values: A contingent Valuation Study of Lake Mendota	UWisc	05-01
BUV	Beneficial Use Values Database Economic Values for Beneficial Uses of Water	UC Davis	07-01-01
RMRS-GTR-72	Benefit transfer of outdoor recreation use values:  A technical document supporting the Forest Service Strategic Plan (2000)	FS	06-13-01
EPA	EPA Guidelines for Preparing Economic Analyses	EPA	01-19-01
OMBOO	Guidelines to Standardize Measures of Costs and Benefits and the Format of Accounting Statements	OMB	03-22-00
FWS	1996 National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated Recreation	FWS	12-10-99
1706r99	Project Planning for Water Quality Concerns (252 KB)	S	06-21-99
1801r99	Guide for Estimating Participation In Conservation Operations and Watershed Protection Projects (36.7 KB)	S	06-21-99
614r99	The Economics of Nutrient and Pest Management (23.5 KB)	S	06-21-99
611	NRCS National Water Resources Handbook for Economics Part 611 (855 KB)	NRCS	07-02-98
300-V-NWSMr98	NRCS National Watersheds Manual	NRCS	04-02-98
W2	Appraisal and Valuation for Conservation Efforts (182 KB)	W	01-01-98
612	NRCS National Resource Economics Handbook, Water Quality Part 612	NRCS NHQ	12-15-96
96	Economic Analysis of Federal Regulations Under Executive Order 12866	OMB	01-11-96
6	Using Economics to Promote Water Quality, A Simplified Example Approach (1.40 MB)	MW	09-01-92
MW200L3	Conservation Options Procedure (COP) (3.81 MB)	MW	10-01-88
MW200L2	PL566 Land Treatment Evaluation Conservation Options Procedure (COP) (666 KB)	MW	05-01-88
W5	PL566 Land Treatment Evaluation Conservation Options Procedure	W	04-01-88
NEH	National Economic Handbook, entire 1986 draft	E	08-12-86
WRC	Economic and Environmental Principles and Guidelines for Water and Related Land Resources Implementation Studies (1.18 MB)	WRC	03-10-83

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