CHAPTER I 

 INTRODUCTION 



Scope and Object ives 



The main objective of this research is to statistically estimate 

 the net economic value of waterfowl hunting in Montana. To this 

 end, a survey of waterfowl hunting practices and views was 

 administered to a random sample of Montana waterfowl hunters 

 following the close of the 1989 hunting season. This survey (see 

 Appendix A) asked hunters questions regarding travel and expenses 

 incurred on specific waterfowl hunting trips, their views on 

 waterfowl management issues, and values which they would place on 

 different waterfowl hunting experiences. Answers to these survey 

 questions were analyzed in two basic ways: (1) responses to 

 questions on travel, expenses, views and hunter characteristics 

 were analyzed with simple descriptive statistics such as means 

 and proportions and (2) responses to the waterfowl hunting trip 

 valuation questions were analyzed as dichotomous choice 

 contingent valuation models, and trip values were estimated using 

 logistic regression modeling. 



This study examines current trip values for waterfowl hunting in 

 Montana. Left unexamined are nonuse values for waterfowl such as 

 viewing values or existence values. These nonconsumptive uses 

 may constitute a sizable percentage of the total value associated 

 with waterfowl, (Walsh et al. 1985) but estimation of these 

 values requires the use of a general household survey and thus is 

 beyond the scope of this study. While nonconsumptive and nonuse 

 values are important when determining large scale impacts to 

 resources, the current trip values, as presented in this study, 

 may be adequate for examining the economic effect of incremental 

 changes in waterfowl management. 



Definition of Economic Benefits 



Many recreationists, when asked if a specific recreational 

 experience was worth more to them than they actually had to spend 

 answer "yes". Net willingness to pay is the additional amount 

 recreationists are willing to pay over and above what they 

 actually had to pay. Therefore, net economic value or "consumer 

 surplus" is the difference between what a person is willing to 

 pay and what they actually must pay. This net willingness to pay 

 is the measure of benefits associated with waterfowl hunting 

 which is used in this study. 



The U.S. Water Resources Council Principles and Guidelines (1983) 

 require many Federal agencies to employ net willingness to pay in 

 measuring the value of both marketed and nonmarketed (e.g., 



