DOCSLIB.ORG

Economic Benefits of the Mojave Desert

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Economic Benefits of the Mojave Desert Economic Benefits Provided by Natural Lands: Case Study of California’s Mojave Desert Timm Kroeger and Paula Manalo Defenders of Wildlife Economic Benefits Provided by Natural Lands: Case Study of California’s Mojave Desert This report can be found online at http://www.defenders.org/publications/mojave_economics Authors: Timm Kroeger, Ph.D., and Paula Manalo, Conservation Economics Program Defenders of Wildlife is a national nonprofit membership organization dedicated to the protection of all native wild animals and plants in their natural communities. National Headquarters Defenders of Wildlife 1130 17th St. NW Washington, DC 20036 USA Tel.: (202) 682-9400; website www.defenders.org © Defenders of Wildlife July 2007 Table of contents page List of abbreviations..............................................................................................................................i List of Tables.........................................................................................................................................ii List of Figures.......................................................................................................................................iii Acknowledgements..............................................................................................................................iv Executive summary...............................................................................................................................1 I. Introduction...................................................................................................................................4 Ecosystems and economic value.........................................................................................4 Quantification of economic value.......................................................................................5 Benefits transfer...........................................................................................................................9 Approaches to benefits transfer.............................................................................................10 Economic value of lands in the Mojave Desert.............................................................11 1) Direct use values...................................................................................................................11 2) Indirect use values.................................................................................................................13 3) Passive use values and option value........................................................................................16 What exactly is it that we are measuring? Defining the boundaries of the analysis.........................................................................................................................17 II. Study area selection.................................................................................................................19 Study area characteristics....................................................................................................21 Land ownership composition......................................................................................................22 Population.................................................................................................................................22 Economy...................................................................................................................................24 Vegetation.................................................................................................................................24 Endangered, threatened and rare species.....................................................................................26 Uses of the lands in the Mojave bioregion.....................................................................28 Recreation.................................................................................................................................28 Passive recreation.......................................................................................................................29 Housing, renewable energy, agriculture, film................................................................................31 Educational and scientific uses...................................................................................................31 Other direct uses of the Mojave...................................................................................................32 Indirect and passive uses............................................................................................................32 III. Estimation of the economic values generated by the lands in the Mojave bioregion..................................................................................................................................33 1. Direct use values of the Mojave.....................................................................................33 Recreation.............................................................................................................................33 Recreation visitor expenditures in the Mojave.......................................................................34 Multiplier effects of recreational expenditures........................................................................42 Consumer surplus of recreationists.......................................................................................46 Pass-through “passive” recreation value of roadside scenic beauty..........................................50 i Total recreation value of the Mojave.....................................................................................52 Real estate value premiums of natural amenities.....................................................57 Military use of the Mojave...............................................................................................68 Film industry in the Mojave............................................................................................71 Other direct uses of the Mojave.....................................................................................73 Option value of the Mojave Desert...............................................................................74 2. Indirect use values of the Mojave..................................................................................76 Human health benefits of erosion control by Mojave wildlands.......................................77 Benefits of human uses of Mojave water........................................................................79 The value of Mojave water......................................................................................82 3. Non-use values of the Mojave........................................................................................85 IV. Conclusion................................................................................................................................87 Literature cited.................................................................................................................................92 Appendix A. Agricultural uses of the Mojave.........................................................................................103 B. Renewable energy industry in the Mojave.....................................................................106 Multiplier effects of operation and maintenance of renewable power plants....................108 Future development of renewable energy in the Mojave.................................................109 ii List of abbreviations AADT Average annual daily traffic ACEC Area of Critical Environmental Concern ATV All-terrain vehicle BEA Bureau of Economic Analysis BLM Bureau of Land Management BT Benefit transfer CARB California Air Resources Board CDP Census designated place CEC California Energy Commission CERES California Environmental Resources Evaluation System CS Consumer surplus DOD Department of Defense DTNA Desert Tortoise Natural Area DVNP Death Valley National Park FWS Fish and Wildlife Service FY Fiscal year JTNP Joshua Tree National Park kWh Kilowatt hour L.A. Los Angeles MNP Mojave National Preserve MWh Megawatt hour MWe Megawatt electricity output (installed capacity) NPS National Park Service OHV Off-highway vehicle O&M Operation and maintenance PC Production cost PM Particulate matter PS Producer surplus RCD Resource Conservation District RIMS II Regional Input-Output Modeling System RPS Renewable Portfolio Standard SEGS Solar Electric Generating System TEV Total economic value USGS United States Geological Survey WTA Willingness to accept WTP Willingness to pay iii List of Tables Table ES-1: Benefits of selected human uses of the Mojave desert in 2003...............................3 Table 1: Value categories and their associated benefits in the Mojave bioregion.....................11 Table 2: Functions, and goods and services provided by dryland ecosystems and likely to be provided by systems in California’s Mojave Bioregion.........................................15 Table 3: Land ownership composition in the Mojave..................................................................22 Table 4: Population in the Mojave bioregion and its proximity..................................................23 Table 5: Endangered, threatened, and rare species in the Mojave bioregion............................27 Table 6: Visitation of specific
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Wilderness Visitors and Recreation Impacts: Baseline Data Available for Twentieth Century Conditions
    United States Department of Agriculture Wilderness Visitors and Forest Service Recreation Impacts: Baseline Rocky Mountain Research Station Data Available for Twentieth General Technical Report RMRS-GTR-117 Century Conditions September 2003 David N. Cole Vita Wright Abstract __________________________________________ Cole, David N.; Wright, Vita. 2003. Wilderness visitors and recreation impacts: baseline data available for twentieth century conditions. Gen. Tech. Rep. RMRS-GTR-117. Ogden, UT: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station. 52 p. This report provides an assessment and compilation of recreation-related monitoring data sources across the National Wilderness Preservation System (NWPS). Telephone interviews with managers of all units of the NWPS and a literature search were conducted to locate studies that provide campsite impact data, trail impact data, and information about visitor characteristics. Of the 628 wildernesses that comprised the NWPS in January 2000, 51 percent had baseline campsite data, 9 percent had trail condition data and 24 percent had data on visitor characteristics. Wildernesses managed by the Forest Service and National Park Service were much more likely to have data than wildernesses managed by the Bureau of Land Management and Fish and Wildlife Service. Both unpublished data collected by the management agencies and data published in reports are included. Extensive appendices provide detailed information about available data for every study that we located. These have been organized by wilderness so that it is easy to locate all the information available for each wilderness in the NWPS. Keywords: campsite condition, monitoring, National Wilderness Preservation System, trail condition, visitor characteristics The Authors _______________________________________ David N.
    [Show full text]
  • Mojave National Preserve: Administrative History
    Mojave National Preserve: Administrative History Mojave Administrative History From Neglected Space To Protected Place: An Administrative History of Mojave National Preserve by Eric Charles Nystrom March 2003 Prepared for: United States Department of the Interior National Park Service Mojave National Preserve Great Basin CESU Cooperative Agreement H8R0701001 TABLE OF CONTENTS moja/adhi/adhi.htm Last Updated: 05-Apr-2005 http://www.nps.gov/history/history/online_books/moja/adhi/adhi.htm[8/6/2013 5:32:15 PM] Mojave National Preserve: Administrative History (Table of Contents) Mojave Administrative History TABLE OF CONTENTS COVER ACKNOWLEDGMENTS LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION CHAPTER TWO: PRELUDE TO SYSTEMATIC FEDERAL MANAGEMENT Native Americans and Anglo Contact Grazing Mining Railroads Homesteading Modern Roads and Rights of Way Modern Military Training Recreation CHAPTER THREE: BLM MANAGEMENT IN THE EAST MOJAVE FLPMA and the Desert Plan The East Mojave National Scenic Area and the Genesis of the CDPA The Political Battle Over the CDPA CHAPTER FOUR: AN AWKWARD START AND THREATS OF AN EARLY END The Dollar Budget CHAPTER FIVE: PLANNING FOR MOJAVE'S FUTURE CHAPTER SIX: PARK MANAGEMENT AND ADMINISTRATION CHAPTER SEVEN: VISITOR SERVICES Resource and Visitor Protection Interpretation CHAPTER EIGHT: RESOURCE MANAGEMENT Natural Resources http://www.nps.gov/history/history/online_books/moja/adhi/adhit.htm[8/6/2013 5:32:17 PM] Mojave National Preserve: Administrative History (Table of Contents) Cultural Resources CHAPTER NINE: FUTURES BIBLIOGRAPHY FOOTNOTES INDEX (omitted from the online edition) LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS Illustration 1 - Joshua tree and buckhorn cholla Illustration 2 - Prehistoric petroglyphs at Indian Well Illustration 3 - The 7IL Ranch Illustration 4 - Stone walls of 1880s-era Providence Illustration 5 - U.S.
    [Show full text]
  • Castle Mountain Mine Plan and Reclamation
    Castle Mountain Venture (Viceroy Gold Corporation) CASTLE MOUNTAIN MINE SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY, CALIFORNIA MINE PLAN AND RECLAMATION PLAN Ver.2.1 (90M-013) California Mine ID NO. 91-36-0015 Prepared by: Castle Mountain Venture Castle Mountain Mine 911 American Pacific Drive., Ste. 190 Henderson, NV 89014 January 2, 2019 Castle Mountain Mine January 2019 Mine Plan and Reclamation Plan TABLE CONTENTS DESCRIPTION PAGE NO 1.0 SUMMARY ........................................................................................................................................ 1-1 1.1 Introduction and Background................................................................................................. 1-1 1.2 Mine Ownership and Prior Approvals .................................................................................... 1-1 1.3 Purpose and Need .................................................................................................................. 1-2 1.4 Organization of this Mine Plan/Reclamation Plan ................................................................. 1-4 1.4.1 Description – Site, Access, and Property ................................................................... 1-7 1.4.2 Background and Current Status of Operation ......................................................... 1-10 1.4.2.1 Early History – Hart Mining District ........................................................ 1-10 1.4.2.2 Operations (1990 – 2001) ....................................................................... 1-11 1.4.2.3 Operations
    [Show full text]
  • Mojave National Preserve California
    A fact sheet from 2017 Dougall Photography/iStockphoto Mojave’s $131.8 million maintenance backlog includes repairs to historic buildings such as the Kelso Depot. Shane McMurphy/iStockphoto Mojave National Preserve California Overview Two hours from the hustle and bustle of Las Vegas and 100 miles from the nearest lodging lies California’s Mojave National Preserve. The Las Vegas Review-Journal dubbed this vast desert in San Bernardino County the “perfect escape for those seeking serenity.” The preserve spans 1.6 million acres, making it the third-largest National Park Service (NPS) unit in the contiguous United States. Mojave is ecologically and geologically diverse, with towering sand dunes, dun-colored mesas, and volcanic formations providing habitat for its abundant plants and wildlife. In addition to the densest forest of Joshua trees in the world, visitors can see bighorn sheep, bobcats, golden eagles, and breathtaking displays of seasonal wildflowers. The preserve also has a rich cultural heritage. Lands first inhabited by the Chemehuevi and Mojave tribes attracted gold miners in the late 19th century and were later crossed by several railroad lines. Visitors can learn more about this history through exhibits at the visitor center and by exploring archaeological sites, abandoned mines, and preserved homesteads and other buildings. The ghost town of Kelso, which once served as a Union Pacific Railroad depot and mining outpost, is one of the park’s most popular destinations. Unfortunately, Mojave faces over $131 million in deferred maintenance. Maintenance challenges Nearly all of Mojave’s needed repairs are for its road network. Severe deterioration of some sections of pavement has prompted the NPS to warn visitors of dangerous potholes.
    [Show full text]
  • San Bernardino & Inyo Counties, California
    BLM-California Old Spanish National Historic Trail Recreation & Development Strategy San Bernardino & Inyo Counties, California—September, 2015 14 Old Spanish National Historic Trail Recreation & Development Strategy Department of the Interior Bureau of Land Management Utah State Office Prepared For: The Bureau of Land Management, Barstow Field Office The Old Spanish Trail Association Prepared By: Michael Knight, BLM, ACE Landscape Architect Intern Graydon Bascom, BLM, ACE Historic Trails Intern September, 2015 Contents Note to the Reader 1 Participants 2 Explanation of Document Sections 3 Project Overview Old Spanish Trail Map 7 Recreation Route Map 9 Typical Trail Elements 11 Trail Zone Details Cajon Junction to Barstow (Zone 1) 15 Barstow to Harvard Rd (Zone 2) 19 Harvard Rd to Salt Creek (Zone 3) 27 Zzyzx to Piute Gorge (Zone 4) 31 Salt Creek to California State Line (Zone 5) 37 Summary 41 Above: Old Spanish Trail Marker at Emigrant Pass Cover Page: Top photo: Salt Creek ACEC, Bottom Photo: Mouth of Spanish Canyon looking southwest Note To The Reader National Historic Trails are trails that have a historical significance to the nation, and can only be designated by an act of Congress. There are currently 19 National Historic Trails in the United States. In 1968, the National Trails System Act, which is intended to provide for the outdoor recreation needs of the public, opened the door to federal involvement in all types of trails. Today, the Bureau of Land Management, along with the National Park Service and National Forest Service, are responsible for the administration and management of National Historic Trails.
    [Show full text]
  • Sustainable Transit Feasibility Study for the Mojave National Preserve
    2009 Sustainable Transit Feasibility Study for the Mojave National Preserve Project Team: Joseph Chow, P.E.* Ankoor Bhagat Sarah Hernandez Advisor: Dr. Michael McNally Institute of Transportation Studies Sponsored by National Parks University of California,i | PIrvine a g e Conservation Association Irvine, CA *Corresponding investigator: [email protected] Table of Contents INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................................... 1 Study Purpose .............................................................................................................................. 1 Methodology ............................................................................................................................... 2 EXISTING SCENARIO ................................................................................................................. 4 Study Area ................................................................................................................................... 4 Emissions Inventory .................................................................................................................... 6 Visitor Demographics ................................................................................................................. 7 Intra-Preserve Shuttle Service ................................................................................................... 12 DEMAND ANALYSIS ...............................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Mojave National Preserve Management Plan for Developed
    Mojave National Preserve—Management Plan for Developed Water Resources CHAPTER 3: AFFECTED ENVIRONMENT Introduction This chapter describes the unique factors that influence water resource management in the Preserve and the resources that could be affected by the implementation of any of the alternatives described in Chapter 2: Alternatives. The resource descriptions provided in this chapter serve as a baseline to compare the potential effects of the management actions proposed in the alternatives. The following resource topics are described in this chapter: • Environmental Setting • Cultural Resources • Water Resources • Wilderness Character • Wildlife Environmental setting and water resources are important for context and are foundational for water resource management, but are not resources that are analyzed for effects. Resource issues that were considered and dismissed from further analysis are listed in Chapter 1: Purpose of and Need for Action and are not discussed further in this EA. A description of the effects of the proposed alternatives on wildlife, cultural resources, and wilderness character is presented in Chapter 4: Environmental Consequences. Environmental Setting The Preserve includes an ecologically diverse yet fragile desert ecosystem consisting of vegetative attributes that are unique to the Mojave Desert, as well as components of the Great Basin and Sonoran Deserts. Topography The topography of the Preserve is characteristic of the mountain and basin physiographic pattern, with tall mountain ranges separated by corresponding valleys filled with alluvial sediments. Primary mountain ranges in the Preserve, from west to east, include the Granite, Kelso, Providence, Clark, New York, and Piute Mountains. Major alluvial valleys include Soda Lake (dry lake bed), Shadow Valley, Ivanpah Valley, Lanfair Valley, and Fenner Valley.
    [Show full text]
  • Ridgecrest BUREAU of LAND MANAGEMENT
    BLM SPECIAL EDITION 1998 EXAMPLES OF AGENCY SIGNS SURFACE MANAGEMENT STATUS DESERT ACCESS GUIDE Ridgecrest BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT USDA FOREST SERVICE l:100,0()0-Scale topographic map showing: Highways, roads and other manmade structures Water features • Contours and elevations in meters Recreation sites • Coverage of former desert access guide #4 Ridgecrest NATIONAL PARK SERVICE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT CALIFORNIA STATE PARKS Edited and published by the Bureau of Land Management National Applied Resource Sciences Center, Denver, Colorado in cooperation with the Bureau of Land Management California State Office. Planimetry partially revised by BLM from various source material. Revised information not field . he. i-rd Base map prepared by the U.S. Geological Survey. Compiled from USGS 1:24,000 and l:62,5O0-scale topographic maps dated 1949-1973, and from advance materials. Partially revised from aerial photographs taken 1973-1989 and other source data. Revised information not CALIFORNIA STATE field checked. Map edited 1993. VEHICULAR RECREATION AREA Help protect your public lands by observing posted Projection and 10,000-meter grid, zone 11: Universal OHV designations. Watch for OHV signs and read hari'.verse Mercator. 25,000-foot grid licks based on them carefully. California coordinate system, zone 4 and 5. 1927 North American Datum. For more information contact the HIM, USDA Forest Service, National Park Service, California State Park, or California State Motorized Vechicle Recreation Area Land lines are omitted in areas of extensive tract surveys. Office (see back panel for address and phone There may be private inholdings within the boundaries of numbers).
    [Show full text]
  • UC Natural Reserve System Transect Publication 18:1
    University of California TransectS u m m e r 2 0 0 0 • Volume 18, No.1 A few words from the NRS systemwide office oday the NRS’s 33 reserve sites,* encompassing roughly T 130,000 acres, are protected and managed in support of teaching, research, and outreach activities. The only people who live there now are a handful of reserve personnel — mostly resident managers and stewards — who care for these wildlands, their resources and facilities, and who enable the teaching and research to continue across California. But this was not always the case. Long before even the concept of Cali- fornia, other people lived out their lives on these lands. Hundreds and thou- sands of years ago, other people were finding ways to feed, clothe, shelter, Photo by Susan Gee Rumsey and protect themselves, trying their The past is nonrenewable: Continued on page 32 Natural reserves protect rich cultural resources 4 Firsthand impressions of a Santa Cruz Island dig ’ve done research at the UC Natural Reserve System’s site on Santa Cruz Island for over 20 years, including archaeological field schools (10 summers) 7 Archaeology sheds light on and National Science Foundation-supported research (6 years) since 1985. I Big Creek mussel mystery I also did my Ph.D. on the island (1980-83) and recorded the major chert quar- 17 Of mammoths and men ries of El Montañon and the microblade production industries in the China Harbor area. 20 Picturing the past in the East Mojave Desert Santa Cruz Island is a remarkable place, and its pre-European cultural resources 25 And a useful glossary of are among the most important and exceptionally well-preserved in the United anthropology terms, too! States.
    [Show full text]
  • Preliminary Geologic Map of the Little Piute Mountains, San Bernardino County, California
    U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY Preliminary Geologic Map of the Little Piute Mountains, San Bernardino County, California by Keith A. Howard1, Michael L. Dennis2, Karl E. Karlstrom3, and Geoffrey A. Phelps1 Open-File Report 95-598 1995 This report is preliminary and has not been reviewed for conformity with U.S. Geological Survey editorial standards or with the North American stratigraphic code. Any use of trade, product, or firm names is for descriptive purpose only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government. 1 Menlo Park, California 94025 2 Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona 86002 3 University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87131 Mapped 1978-1993 by K. Howard, P. Stone, K. Karlstrom, G. Phelps, M. Dennis, and students from Northern Arizona University. GEOLOGIC SUMMARY Introduction The Little Piute Mountains in the eastern Mojave Desert expose a series of folds and thrust faults involving metamorphosed Paleozoic strata (Miller and others, 1982; Stone and others, 1983). Detailed mapping of these structures was undertaken to help elucidate regional Mesozoic structural evolution. Earlier geologic maps were prepared by Cooksley (1960a,b,c,d, generalized by Bishop, 1964) and Stone and others (1983). Deformed and metamorphosed Paleozoic and Triassic rocks form a stratal succession that was originally deposited in shallow seas on the North American craton. Based on lithologic sequence the units are correlated with unmetamorphosed equivalents 200 km to the northeast in the Grand Canyon, Arizona, and 35-50 km to the west in the Marble, Ship, and Providence Mountains, California (Stone and others, 1983).
    [Show full text]
  • The California Desert CONSERVATION AREA PLAN 1980 As Amended
    the California Desert CONSERVATION AREA PLAN 1980 as amended U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT U.S. Department of the Interior Bureau of Land Management Desert District Riverside, California the California Desert CONSERVATION AREA PLAN 1980 as Amended IN REPLY REFER TO United States Department of the Interior BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT STATE OFFICE Federal Office Building 2800 Cottage Way Sacramento, California 95825 Dear Reader: Thank you.You and many other interested citizens like you have made this California Desert Conservation Area Plan. It was conceived of your interests and concerns, born into law through your elected representatives, molded by your direct personal involvement, matured and refined through public conflict, interaction, and compromise, and completed as a result of your review, comment and advice. It is a good plan. You have reason to be proud. Perhaps, as individuals, we may say, “This is not exactly the plan I would like,” but together we can say, “This is a plan we can agree on, it is fair, and it is possible.” This is the most important part of all, because this Plan is only a beginning. A plan is a piece of paper-what counts is what happens on the ground. The California Desert Plan encompasses a tremendous area and many different resources and uses. The decisions in the Plan are major and important, but they are only general guides to site—specific actions. The job ahead of us now involves three tasks: —Site-specific plans, such as grazing allotment management plans or vehicle route designation; —On-the-ground actions, such as granting mineral leases, developing water sources for wildlife, building fences for livestock pastures or for protecting petroglyphs; and —Keeping people informed of and involved in putting the Plan to work on the ground, and in changing the Plan to meet future needs.
    [Show full text]
  • Distribution and Seasonal Movements of Bendire's Thrasher in California
    WESTERN BIRDS Volume 20, Number 3, 1989 DISTRIBUTION AND SEASONAL MOVEMENTS OF BENDIRE'S THRASHER IN CALIFORNIA A. SIDNEY ENGLAND, Departmentof Wildlifeand FisheriesBiology, University of California, Davis. California 95616 WILLIAM E LAUDENSLAYER,JR., U.S. D. A. ForestService, Forestry Sciences Laboratory,2081 E. SierraAvenue, Fresno, California 93710 The ecology and distribution of Bendire's Thrasher (Toxostorna bendirei)have been little studiedand are poorlyunderstood. Garrett and Dunn (1981:280) classifiedthe speciesas a "fairlycommon but very local summer resident on the Mojave Desert" in southern California. Californiabreeding populations are known primarily from the eastern Mojave Desert and scattered locations in and around Joshua Tree NationalMonument in the southernMojave Desert (Johnson et al. 1948, Miller and Stebbins1964, Garrett and Dunn 1981), areas frequently visitedby bird watchersand naturalists. However, recordsfrom other parts of the Mojave and Colorado deserts suggest that breeding populationsof Bendire'sThrasher may be more widely distributedthan currentlyrecognized. Also, the preferredbreeding habitat in Californiais relativelywidespread. This habitatis typicallydescribed as Mojavedesert scrubwith either JoshuaTrees (Yucca brevifolia), SpanishBayonet (Y. baccata), Mojave Yucca (Y. schidigera), cholla cactus (Opuntia acanthocarpa,O. echinocarpa,or O. rarnosissirna),or other succulents (Grinnelland Miller 1944, Bent 1948, Garrett and Dunn 1981). Remsen(1978) consideredthe total Californiabreeding population of Bendire'sThrasher to be under 200 pairs, and the specieshas been placedon the list of Bird Speciesof SpecialConcern by the California Departmentof Fishand Game (Remsen1978). It was placedon this list becausepopulations are smalland locallydistributed and believedto be threatenedby off-roadvehicle use, overgrazing,and harvestingof Joshua Treesand other speciesof yucca. In this paper, we report the resultsof a 2-year studyof the breeding- season distributionand movement patterns of Bendire's Thrasher in California.
    [Show full text]