Valuing special forest products harvesting: a two-step travel cost recreation demand analysis^⋆

Currently, the empirical literature on outdoor recreation demand lacks estimates of the benefits of special forest products harvesting. This paper provides a recreation demand analysis of non-commercial huckleberry and mushroom picking on the Gifford Pinchot National Forest in southwestern Washington State (USA). Using available survey data and a two-step structural equations model of harvesting and travel cost recreation demand, with a Murphy–Topel (J. Bus. Econ. Stat. 3 (1985) 88) standard error correction, we estimate the consumer surplus associated with special forest products harvesting. Per recreation visitor day consumer surplus is estimated at $30.82 in 1996 dollars ($36.06 in 2003 dollars). Estimated values for the full range of non-timber values are becoming increasingly important as public lands management agencies expand their focus to include consideration of alternative forest uses.