The dynamic path of recreational values following a forest fire: a comparative analysis of states in the Intermountain West

Abstract

This analysis examines the dynamic path of recreational values following a forest fire in three different states in the intermountain western United States. The travel cost demand analysis found that annual recreation values after a fire follow a highly nonlinear intertemporal path. The path is S-shaped, providing a range of benefits and losses in the years following a fire. While the results discourage the use of a single value throughout the Intermountain West, they do provide a range of likely values that public land managers can apply to fire-affected areas in their jurisdictions.