ECONOMIC VALUES OF INCREASINGLY RARE AND ENDANGERED FISH

This paper discusses the types of economic benefits that rare and enda ngered fish provide members of the general public, and a survey method increasingly used to measure those benefits. The paper also presents results from recent surveys that have attempted to elicit the economic values the public holds for rare and endangered fish. These surveys i ndicate that citizens would pay US$4-$9 per year to increase stream fl ows and restore habitat of species such as the Colorado squawfish and $30-$60 per year for increasing populations of Pacific Northwest salmo n. Validation of market simulations shows that Montana resident angler s donated on average $2 and nonresident anglers $12 to The Nature Cons ervancy to increase flows in one river for the Arctic grayling and Yel lowstone cutthroat trout. A large portion of the dollar values reflect the benefits citizens derive from simply knowing the abundance of the se species will be increased and available for future generations. Leg islators, policy makers, and social scientists should consider these e conomic factors when debating reauthorization of the Endangered Specie s Act.