WEAI/AERE 2009 - Individual Paper Abstract
Title: Size Matters: The Economic Value of Beach Erosion and Nourishment in Southern California
Author(s): Craig Mohn et al.
Abstract:
Natural and human forces constantly reshape beaches adding sand to some beaches and taking it from others. Understanding the economic consequences of changes in beach width can be difficult, especially at public beaches where many beach goers don't pay market prices for the pleasure of enjoying wide sandy beaches.
We use data from a panel of beach goers in the Los Angeles area that tracked beach going behavior over twelve months. The beach choice behavior of respondents combined with detailed beach attribute data, including beach width, reveals how changes in beach width affect visitation to beaches in southern California and the non-market economic value enjoyed by these beach goers. We use a random utility approach to show that the value of beach width varies for different types of beach uses: water contact, sand-based activities, and pavement-based activities. We also find that the value of beach width depends on how wide the beach is to begin with.