Natural Resource Economics Commons^™

Development Of A Framework To Support Community-Scale Nutrient Recovery For Local Crop Fertilization And Production, Scott A. Lopez

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

Nutrient and resource recovery (NRR) has become increasingly crucial as regions face deteriorating sanitation infrastructures, limited support, and growing environmental challenges. Implementing region-specific NRR technologies and systems could provide effective circular economy insights into addressing these challenges. Because of the multidisciplinary challenges associated with the design and implementation of NRR strategies, various government and local decision-makers need to collaborate effectively in the decision-making process. Structured decision-making (SDM) methodologies are practical when determining the most appropriate NRR strategy for nutrient-rich waste streams. However, applications of computational SDM limited because of the vast amounts of data that are needed to analyze the …

Rad Rivers In Rad Places: Characterizing The Historical And Future Whitewater Resources In Select Regions Of The United States, Melissa D. Shafer

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

Outdoor recreation is a highly profitable industry in the United States. In 2021, outdoor recreation accounted for $454.0 billion, or 1.9% of the current-dollar gross domestic product for the nation. Many states have benefited financially from focusing on promoting their outdoor recreation and natural resources. Whitewater (WW) paddling has been a recreational activity since the 1950s. In 2007 there were an estimated 1.2 million participants in whitewater kayaking. As of 2020, that number increased to 2.6 million, doubling the number of participants. WW resources can be leveraged to reshape local and regional economies. The framework developed in this study provides …

Essays On Clean Water Act And Safe Drinking Water Act, Sharaban Tahura Anica

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

This dissertation empirically examines three issues related to CWA and SDWA: 1) Financial Assistance and Environmental Compliance; 2) Financial Assistance Priorities from the Clean Water State Revolving Fund; and 3) Drinking Water Compliance during COVID-19 Pandemic.

Using the National Pollution Discharge Elimination System compliance and the Clean Water State Revolving Funds (CWSRF) data for wastewater treatment plants in nine states between 2010 and 2018, chapter 2 examines a) the effect of non-compliance on the distribution and size of awarded CWSRF loans, and b) the effects of the CWSRF provision and award size on post-funding compliance. Funded facilities are found to …

Black Walnut Plantations In West Virginia: Maximizing Financial Returns Through Decision Modeling And Cash Flow Analysis, Erin Duffy Shaw

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

The purpose of this study was to identify the management strategies that lead to maximum financial returns from a black walnut plantation. To evaluate a selection of plantation establishment scenarios, thinning treatments, and product objectives, an Excel-based black walnut financial model was updated and revised. Key updates to the model included incorporating three cash flows for 1) the collection and wholesale of black walnut sap, 2) producing black walnut syrup, and 3) leasing black walnut trees for tapping. Additionally, outputs from the Forest Vegetation Simulator were integrated into the model’s growth and yield projections as a means of more accurately …

Examining West Virginia's Economic Development: Natural Resources, Development Agencies, And Labor Force Development, Gaillynn Marie Bowman

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

Examining West Virginia's Economic Development: Natural Resources, Development Agencies, and Labor Force Development Gaillynn Bowman Economic development is well-recognized as being fundamental to facilitating an overall improved quality of life for communities and their residents. Throughout West Virginia’s history, the state has experienced economic hardships caused by boom and bust cycles associated with resource extraction. This dissertation consists of three essays that explore the impacts of economic development activities, including conservation programs, economic development agency initiatives, and workforce development agencies. The first essay explores the relationship nonresident landowners have with the conservation programs within West Virginia, specifically the Natural Resources …

Integrated Techno-Economic And Life Cycle Analyses Of Biomass Utilization For Value-Added Bioproducts In The Northeastern United States, Yuxi Wang

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

A multi-stage spatial analysis was first conducted to select locations for lignocellulosic biomass-based bioproduct facility, using Geographical Information System (GIS) spatial analysis, multi-criteria analysis ranking algorithm, and social-economic assessment. A case study was developed to determine locations for lignocellulosic biorefineries using feedstocks including forest residue biomass and three energy crops for 13 states in the northeastern United States. In the entire study area, 11.1% of the counties are high-suitable, 48.8% are medium-suitable for biorefinery siting locations. A non-parametric analysis of cross-group surveys showed that preferences on biorefinery siting are homogeneous for experts in academia and industry groups, but people in …

Family Forest Owners Satisfaction With Timber Transactions, Jeffrey M. Lee

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

Forest industries in the eastern U.S. rely heavily on family forest owners to supply fiber needs for their mills. As of 2017, 79 percent of West Virginia is classified as forestland and of this roughly 86.5 percent is privately owned. With such a heavy reliance on wood from private forest lands, family forest owner satisfaction is extremely important if companies want to continue harvesting or working with these landowners in the future.

Timber transactions are complex. No two timber transactions are exactly the same. They often involve many different parties apart from the landowner. Site conditions, land cover, and landowner …

Three Essays On Water Economics, Fahad Alzahrani

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

This dissertation consists of three essays that explore the impacts of changes in public water quality, reliability, and raw water source. The first essay explores the relationship between episodes of contaminated drinking water and health care expenditures in the United States. Using panel data from 48 contiguous states from 2000 to 2011 and spatial econometrics modeling methods, the results indicate that there is positive and statistically significant impact on per capita health care expenditures from the percentage of a state’s population exposed to contamination episodes. The second essay examines the problem of water supply reliability due to aging infrastructure of …