Grantee Research Project Results
2020 Progress Report: An Integrated Valuation Model Linking Nutrient Reductions to Changing Ecosystem Services in Freshwater Systems
EPA Grant Number: R836168Title: An Integrated Valuation Model Linking Nutrient Reductions to Changing Ecosystem Services in Freshwater Systems
Investigators: Herriges, Joseph A. , Lupi, Frank , Stevenson, R. Jan
Institution: Michigan State University
EPA Project Officer: Packard, Benjamin H
Project Period: September 1, 2016 through August 31, 2020 (Extended to August 31, 2023)
Project Period Covered by this Report: September 1, 2019 through August 31,2020
Project Amount: $799,074
RFA: Water Quality Benefits (2015) RFA Text | Recipients Lists
Research Category: Water
Objective:
The purpose of this research is to estimate the use and non-use values stemming from changes in nutrient loadings to freshwater systems of Michigan (rivers, lakes, and the Great Lakes) and, in doing so, address a number of challenges in the theory and practice of non-market valuation of water resources. Of the project’s three objectives, the first focuses on quantifying changes in water quality stemming from changes in nutrient loadings and developing water quality metrics that can be used to effectively communicate the corresponding changes in ecosystem services. Objective 2 seeks to use these metrics to assess how total willingness-to-pay (TWTP) for changes to streams, lakes, and Great Lakes in Michigan depend upon the location and spatial scale of impacts (e.g., HUC4 regions versus statewide effects). Objective 3 is concerned with the various approaches used in the literature to apportion TWTP into use and non-use components.
Progress Summary:
The key tasks for the project center around designing and fielding two nonmarket valuation surveys. The baseline survey examines how TWTP differs in terms of the reported ecosystem service affected (fish biomass, biological condition gradient, etc.), as well as the location and spatial scales of these changes. The second survey (task 5), on the other hand, examines how TWTP changes with different information treatments and how it can be segmented into use versus non-use valuations. Pursuant to the objectives of this project, our efforts during this reporting period have been focused on three areas. First, having previously completed the design and implementation of the baseline survey, we finalized coding of the data and undertook preliminary analysis. Second, we finalized and implemented the second survey. The second survey was conducted online using a “push-to-web” design on an addressed-based sample of the general population. The survey instrument incorporated a number of new features relative to the baseline survey, including more detailed elicitation of past recreational trip information and follow-up questions in the stated preference section, both designed to aid in segmenting the respondent’s total willingness to pay (TWTP) for a policy scenario into use and non-use components. Third, we began the data coding and cleaning of the second survey, including all the recreation site choice data.
Future Activities:
In the near term we will complete the modeling of the first survey and process the data from the second survey. We will then finalize the modeling of the second survey. We also have preliminary results presentations at the 2021 W4133 virtual meeting, and we have a presentation accepted for the 2021 Summer AERE virtual meetings.
Journal Articles:
No journal articles submitted with this report: View all 7 publications for this projectProgress and Final Reports:
Original AbstractThe perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Conclusions drawn by the principal investigators have not been reviewed by the Agency.
Project Research Results
- Final
- 2022 Progress Report
- 2021 Progress Report
- 2019 Progress Report
- 2018 Progress Report
- 2017 Progress Report
- Original Abstract
1 journal articles for this project