Date of Award:

5-1971

Document Type:

Thesis

Degree Name:

Master of Science (MS)

Department:

Applied Economics

Department name when degree awarded

Agricultural Economics

Committee Chair(s)

E. Boyd Wennergren

Committee

E. Boyd Wennergren

Committee

Allen LeBaron

Committee

Herbert Fullerton

Abstract

A conceptual model relating recreation resource values to the concept of economic rent was developed. The model argues that recreation sites possess both quality and location characteristics which serve as rent producing agents. Sites of better quality extract economic rents relative to those of lesser quality while those located most advantageously to user origins earn location rents relative to those more distantly located. The economic rent values are expressed by the differential use costs and recreationist activity associated with individual site usage.

A methodological procedure was developed which generates estimates of total rent values for a given site. The procedure permits identification of rent values separately related to site location and quality.

Application of the model was made by estimating recreation values for pheasant hunting in Utah using 1966 data. These data were collected by mail survey from hunters following the 1966 hunting season. Approximately 1,025 questionnaires were used in the analysis.

The total rent value estimated from the model was approximately 5.8 million dollars. About 83 percent of the total was attributed to site quality and 17 percent to location. No attempt was made to analyze the variables related to quality. In only three counties, Juab, Millard, and Utah, were location values found to exceed those resulting from quality. Total rent values were highest for Weber, Cache, Box Elder and Davis counties.

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