Abstract
The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of the significant economic considerations is the analysis of the management, use, and enhancement of riparian zones in the interior West. Applied demonstration work has been done, including basic biological research relating to the functioning of riparian ecosystems and to the effects of domestic livestock grazing on the performance of the riparian system. The literature relating to that work is reviewed here, with an emphasis on implications for economic analysis. Attention is given to the subject of the costs and benefits of riparian-zone management, use, and enhancement strategies from the private and from the social perspectives. The final part of the paper deals with the types of values riparian zones provide, the social benefits resulting from the improvement of riparian zones, the private and social costs of riparian-zone degradation, and the possibilities for the provision of economic incentives to encourage voluntary private sector participation in riparian improvement projects on both private and public lands.
Recommended Citation
Obermiller, Frederick W.
(1994)
"Framework for evaluating the economic benefits, costs, and trade-offs associated with riparian-area management practices and strategies,"
Natural Resources and Environmental Issues: Vol. 1, Article 9.
Available at:
https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/nrei/vol1/iss1/9
