Using random utility models to estimate the recreational value of estuarine resources

In this paper we describe a model using a household production framework to link measures of nonpoint source pollution to fishing quality and a random utility model to describe how that quality influences sport fishing parties’ decisions in North Carolina. The results provide clear support for using a model that evaluates the effects of pollution on the activities and decisions associated with the fishing activity once a trip is taken. Site selection decisions are then conditioned on the anticipated quality of fishing sites. The framework also has the advantage of linking the spatial, technical, and economic information required to evaluate the management plans required for estuaries under the National Estuarine Program.