Comparing the economic value of forage on public lands for wildlife and livestock

Abstract

Deciding how to allocate forage among animals is a fundamentally important process in range management. The wisdom of these decisions can be enhanced by estimating the marginal value of forage needed by competing species. We present a method for obtaining such estimates and apply this method to generate net economic values of forage for elk and deer in Challis, Idaho. Specifically, a demand curve derived using a regional travel cost model is used to statistically estimate the marginal value of wildlife and forage. Comparisons of the value of forage to livestock and wildlife indicate equivalent values in the Challis, Idaho, area for these 2 uses.