Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Consumer Surplus And Economic Rent Estimates Of Recreation Value: An Empirical And Theoretical Comparison, Eric R. Meale

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The consumer surplus and economic rent methods of resource valuation were applied to boating recreation in Utah. Total consumer surplus and economic rent values were estimated for twenty-four boating sites. These values incorporate the relationship existing between the variable use cost and the units of activity associated with the site.

Data were collected by a mail survey directed to boaters during the 1973 boating season. Approximately 1,408 questionnaires were analyzed. Additional data were collected from the Utah Division of Parks and Recreation.

Economic rent and consumer surplus were compared by using a common mathematical model and empirical observation. The concepts …