Economics of grizzly bear viewing: a tool for preservation of high density landscape in British Colombia?

Nevin, Owen ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3513-8053 and Swain, Peter (2005) Economics of grizzly bear viewing: a tool for preservation of high density landscape in British Colombia? In: 16th International Conference on Bear Research and Management, 27 September - 1 October 2005, Riva del Garda, Trentino, Italy. (Unpublished)

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Abstract

Recent legislative and policy changes to forestry and land-use decisions in British Columbia have resulted in considerable emphasis on economic values in decision making. Commercial grizzly bear viewing was examined to determine the potential for preserving high diversity old growth forest through the land-use planning process and to identify barriers to the success of these operations. A baseline economic survey of grizzly bear viewing operators was undertaken to assess the present impact using an input/output model (or National Accounting Standards). The design allowed for crosssectoral comparison and was compatible with land-use planning guidelines. A separate survey of participants was used to determine the importance of bear viewing to destination choice in order to apportion total vacation costs appropriately. Operators and industry experts were polled for factors affecting the success of bear viewing, and a follow-up survey ranked the compiled factors. Geographical attributes of existing bear viewing sites and the surrounding areas were compiled and compared with the BC government’s GIS database to produce a map of potential viewing sites. Results provided information on a wide scope of viewing conditions and allowed for benchmarking best and worst-case economic scenarios. The economic impacts of the present industry were found to be relatively small, but can add significant value to low-elevation old-growth forest in regional planning. Commercial potential was found to be significantly underestimated in current tourism opportunities studies. A discussion of the barriers to success and concessions in a multi-stakeholder scenario is included.

Item Type:	Conference or Workshop Item (Poster)
Departments:	Academic Departments > Science, Natural Resources & Outdoor Studies (SNROS) > Forestry and Conservation
Depositing User:	Insight Administrator
Date Deposited:	30 Mar 2011 16:18
Last Modified:	11 Jan 2024 19:00
URI:	https://insight.cumbria.ac.uk/id/eprint/934

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