Valuing environmental policy options: A case study comparison of multiattribute and contingent valuation survey methods

This paper describes a promising new evaluation approach, called a "value i ntegration survey," that uses the objectives and tradeoffs expressed by par ticipants to value environmental policy options. This constructive techniqu e, which builds on the interactive elicitation process of decision analysts , assists stakeholders in clarifying their values and in agreeing on a poli cy alternative. The paper compares this multiattribute valuation method to contingent valuation surveys, describes the sequence of respondents' tasks, and presents results from a case study comparison of contingent valuation and value-integration survey methods in the context of valuing options for fire control in Oregon's old-growth forests.