Book Description

This book provides the first comprehensive economic valuation of US National Parks (including Monuments, Seashores, Lakeshores, Recreation Areas, Historic sites) and National Park Service Programs. The book develops a comprehensive framework for calculating the economic value of protected areas, with particular application to the U.S. National Park Service (NPS). The framework highlights the many benefits the National Park Service (NPS) provides to the general public, including on-site visitation, and several other "uses" of NPS units previously not studied from an economic perspective such as in education, filming of movies/TV shows, and carbon sequestration, with case studies of each included. Examples are drawn from studies in Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, Golden Gate National Recreation Area, and cooperative stakeholder management of Chesapeake Bay. The editors conclude with a chapter on innovative approaches for sustainable funding of the NPS in its second century. The framework serves as a blueprint of methodologies for conservationists, government agencies, land trusts, economists and others to value public lands, historical sites, and related programs, such as education. The methodologies are relevant to local and state parks, wildlife refuges, and protected areas in developed and developing countries as well as to national parks around the world. Containing a series of unique case studies, this book will be of great interest to professionals and students in environmental economics, land management and nature conservation, as well as the more general reader interested in National Parks. sustainable funding of the NPS in its second century. The framework serves as a blueprint of methodologies for conservationists, government agencies, land trusts, economists and others to value public lands, historical sites, and related programs, such as education. The methodologies are relevant to local and state parks, wildlife refuges, and protected areas in developed and developing countries as well as to national parks around the world. Containing a series of unique case studies, this book will be of great interest to professionals and students in environmental economics, land management and nature conservation, as well as the more general reader interested in National Parks.