| ealthy stream ecosystems generate diverse economic benefits for residents of British Columbia. These include benefits provided by fish, wildlife, plants, clean freshwater, and watershed recreation. This study utilizes the travel-cost method, to determine the economic value of recreation benefits provided by the Seymour River corridor near Vancouver, British Columbia. The value of two adjacent river sections is compared: an 8.2-kilometre corridor which is protected in its natural state, and a 3.7-kilometre corridor which has been influenced by urban development.;Between May 11 and August 2, 1992, personal interviews were conducted with 255 parties to gather travel-cost data from recreationists visiting the two river sections. During the 12-week stratified sampling period, 126 parties were interviewed in the protected river section and 129 in the developed river section.;The average net value of recreation benefits generated per visit was estimated to be... |
