Abstract: It is well-recognized that natural land is of great importance, and measures of the value of natural lands are required when making data-driven policy decisions between land development and land preservation. One of the most important values of natural land areas is the recreational services provided.

In this study, we estimate the recreation use value provided by the natural land in New England. Specifically, we apply the travel cost method to calculate the total consumer surplus for hunting, fishing, and wildlife-watching in the New England region. We also investigate whether and how people from households of different demographic backgrounds have different recreational habits.

Using data from the National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, & Wildlife-Associated Recreation, we found that New England natural lands provide a remarkable amount of recreation use value—$88 billion per year to U.S. citizens who partake in wildlife-related activities. Our estimates can serve as input for economic projection and policy analysis models and allow more equitable and appropriate data-driven policy decisions.

Research Highlights:

• Recreation use of New England natural lands valued at $56–88 billion

• Applying the travel cost method with a Poisson regression model

• Data from the National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, & Wildlife-Associated Recreation

• Home region, race, and population density play a role in shaping recreation habits