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A comparison of wildland urban interface households WTP for wildfire risk reduction programs in California and Florida

Informally Refereed
Authors: José J. Sánchez, John Loomis, Armando González-Cabán, Tom Holmes
Year: 2019
Type: General Technical Report
Station: Pacific Southwest Research Station
Source: Gen. Tech. Rep. PSW-GTR-261 (English). Albany, CA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Research Station: 114-131.

Abstract

Using the same choice experiment surveys and same specification of mixed logit models are used in California (CA) and Florida (FL) to compare homeowners willingness to pay (WTP) for two types of fuel reduction programs. Comparing the WTP of homeowners in CA and FL for private and public wildfire risk reduction show that WTP for the private actions among households who perceive low to moderate wildfire risk is quite low, and probably lower than what their cost share would be for making significant wildfire risk reductions on their property and to their residence. However, these same individuals would pay substantially more for public programs to reduce wildfire risk in their neighborhoods and common/public lands around their neighborhoods. The results also suggest the highest priority for cost sharing funds would go to homeowners in areas who perceive their houses to be at high risk, and especially to cost share private actions on their own land.

Parent Publication

Keywords

benefit transfer, fuel reduction programs, mail survey, mixed logit model, willingness to pay

Citation

S nchez, Jos J.; Loomis, John; Gonz lez-Cab n, Armando; Holmes, Tom. 2019. A comparison of wildland urban interface households WTP for wildfire risk reduction programs in California and Florida. In: Gonz lez-Cab n, Armando; S nchez, Jos J., tech. eds. Proceedings of the fifth international symposium on fire economics, planning, and policy: ecosystem services and wildfires. Gen. Tech. Rep. PSW-GTR-261 (English). Albany, CA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Research Station: 114-131.
https://www.fs.usda.gov/research/treesearch/57679