ECONOMIC-EFFECTS OF ENVIRONMENTAL-QUALITY CHANGE ON RECREATIONAL HUNTING IN NORTHWESTERN SASKATCHEWAN - A CONTINGENT BEHAVIOR ANALYSIS

This study estimates changes in the value of a recreational hunting ex perience as road access, game populations, congestion, and travel dist ance change in the forest environment because of harvesting operations . Values were estimated using a model that considers changes in one or more environmental quality factors simultaneously. The model is a var iant of the contingent valuation method that evaluates multiple enviro nmental quality changes. The model is applied to big-game hunters in a particular forest management licence area in northern Saskatchewan. T he results suggest that the welfare of these hunters increases with re ductions in congestion and improvements in game populations and access levels. The annual value of those improvements that generate the high est welfare for moose and deer hunters ranges from about $12 000 to $1 9 000, depending on the welfare measure used. The highest values of we lfare losses ranged from about -$2750 to -$19 500 depending on the wel fare measure, and were associated with increases in congestion and dec reases in access and game population levels. The methods and results p resented in this paper suggest an approach for the values of nontimber products, such as recreational hunting, to be incorporated more expli citly in integrated forest management plans.