In this dissertation I employ multiple discrete choice modeling methods and data collection approaches to make both methodological and empirical contributions which focus on a variety of management-relevant programs and policies. In dissertation chapter 1, I examine the potential for researchers to estimate recreation demand models using widely available secondary data on recreation site choice that lacks some income and trip details. I find that substituting zip-code median income for individual-reported income, and constructing estimates of trips based on days spent hunting and the distance of the hunting site from the individual's residence, generate welfare estimates that are similar to results using individual-reported information on income and trips. This research indicates potential for utilizing a wide range of previously ignored recreation site choice data for recreation demand modeling purposes. Dissertation chapters 2 and 3 are supported by the procedure developed in dissertation chapter 1. Dissertation chapter 2 estimates a discrete choice model of ruffed grouse hunting in Michigan with the objective of estimating both the economic benefits of all publicly accessible hunting land in Michigan for ruffed grouse hunters and the potential changes to ruffed grouse hunter economic benefits as a result of a proposal to ban the use of firearms in approximately 67,000 acres of national forest wilderness area. Economic benefits of publicly accessible hunting land for ruffed grouse hunters in Michigan was estimated to be about $30 million in 2008, with economic benefits of the 67,000 acres of national forest wilderness area to ruffed grouse hunters estimated at about $45,000. Dissertation chapter 3 estimates the economic benefits of the USDA Conservation Reserve Program for pheasant hunters in Michigan by linking a previously developed spatially explicit, landscape based model of pheasant sightings to a discrete choice model of pheasant hunter site choice. Chapter 3 also estimates the potential economic benefits generated through the initiation of a multi-agency and stakeholder pheasant habitat restoration plan. Results show that economic benefits for pheasant hunters depend critically on restoration site selection. Dissertation chapter 4 uses a choice experiment survey of Michigan trout anglers to examine the willingness of anglers to make tradeoffs between changes in driving distance to a fishing site and changes in attributes available at fishing sites. On average, trout anglers prefer higher catch rates, shorter travel distances to a fishing site, and are highly averse to strict fishing regulations such as catch-and-release only and artificial flies only regulations. However, there is evidence of preference heterogeneity within the trout angler population for these regulations, with some anglers preferring (all else equal) to fish in areas with these restrictions. This distribution of angler preferences is used to examine the proportion of anglers who can be made better off when strict regulations induce catch-related quality improvements at a fishing site.
Read
