TY - JOUR

T1 - Local consequences of national policies - a spatial analysis of preferences for forest access reduction

AU - Nielsen, Anne Sofie Elberg

AU - Lundhede, Thomas

AU - Jacobsen, Jette Bredahl

PY - 2016

Y1 - 2016

N2 - Stated preference studies eliciting welfare economic consequence of national policies, are often not considering the spatial variation in supply and demand. This spatial variation may however cause large distributional heterogeneity of policy changes. In this study, we use a choice experiment to test whether peoples' preferences for restrictions in forest access is influenced by spatial heterogeneity in local forest presence and quality conditions. Combining survey data with GIS information we assess the size of local forest cover, distance to nearest forest and forest quality indicators in a radius of 2.5 km from respondent's residence. We demonstrate that a nationally framed policy implementing access reductions to protect wildlife may have heterogeneous welfare consequences which can be described by a general disutility for access reductions and dependency on local forest attributes. Further, geo referencing the residence of all invited respondents allows us to test whether forest cover, distance and other forest attributes are different between respondents and non-respondents. No evidence of self-selection is identified.

AB - Stated preference studies eliciting welfare economic consequence of national policies, are often not considering the spatial variation in supply and demand. This spatial variation may however cause large distributional heterogeneity of policy changes. In this study, we use a choice experiment to test whether peoples' preferences for restrictions in forest access is influenced by spatial heterogeneity in local forest presence and quality conditions. Combining survey data with GIS information we assess the size of local forest cover, distance to nearest forest and forest quality indicators in a radius of 2.5 km from respondent's residence. We demonstrate that a nationally framed policy implementing access reductions to protect wildlife may have heterogeneous welfare consequences which can be described by a general disutility for access reductions and dependency on local forest attributes. Further, geo referencing the residence of all invited respondents allows us to test whether forest cover, distance and other forest attributes are different between respondents and non-respondents. No evidence of self-selection is identified.

KW - Choice experiment

KW - Preference heterogeneity

KW - Recreation

KW - Self-selection

KW - Spatial heterogeneity

KW - WTP

U2 - 10.1016/j.forpol.2016.08.010

DO - 10.1016/j.forpol.2016.08.010

M3 - Journal article

AN - SCOPUS:84985961235

VL - 73

SP - 68

EP - 77

JO - Forest Policy and Economics

JF - Forest Policy and Economics

SN - 1389-9341

ER -