Publication

Valuing a global environmental good: US residents' willingness to pay to protect tropical rain forests

Kramer, R. A. and D. E. Mercer

Although contingent valuation (CV) is the most common technique for valuing nonmarket environmental resources, rarely has it been applied to global environmental goods. This study uses CV in a national survey to assess the value US residents place on tropical rain forest protection. On average, respondents were willing to make a one-time payment of approximately $21-31 per household to protect an additional 5 percent of tropical forests. Although respondents were able to give consistent responses across two different CV formats, focus groups were unwilling or unable to allocate their aggregate rainforest valuations across or among regions or specific rain forests.

Fiscal Year: fy97 ·  Problem Area: pa98-5 ·  Source: coop   <== Explain

Citation: Kramer, R. A. and D. E. Mercer. 1997. Valuing a global environmental good: US residents' willingness to pay to protect tropical rain forests. Land Economics 73:196-210.

full-text article available in PDF (231 KB)

Want more? Send an email to emercer@fs.fed.us . If you're requesting a reprint be sure your email includes the citation and your complete mailing address.

Forest Economics    and Policy

Publications ·  Search ·  Home

USDA Forest Service    Southern Research Station