Use of public perceptions of groundwater quality benefits in developing livestock management options

In this study, a dichotomous choice model is used to determine the compensa ting welfare measure for water quality improvements stemming from livestock waste management in the Abbotsford region of southwestern British Columbia . The benefits of improving water quality are compared with the net costs o f composting manure on a large scale, the option for handling livestock Mas ter preferred by the provincial government. The results indicate that the c osts of composting manure exceed the revenue from selling manure (compost) plus the off-site damages avoided.