Abstract

Economic valuation can aid decision-makers in justifying the costs of conservation programs like wildlife reintroductions. Factors like stakeholder trust and confidence in conservation professionals for their ability to manage risks may play important roles in determining how local residents support and value the conservation of reintroduced species. This study analyzed data collected from a household survey of residents near an elk restoration zone in East Tennessee and found their willingness to pay (WTP) for reintroduced elk conservation to be $45.53 per household. Moreover, WTP was positively related with trust and confidence in agency professionals, and negatively related with perceived risks associated with elk. WTP also varied according to resident dependence on land for income and demographic characteristics. Results shed light on the economic benefit of wildlife reintroduction programs and the importance of social-psychological factors such as risk perception, trust and confidence in enhancing support for conservation programs.

摘要

经济评估可以帮助决策者证明诸如野生生物再引进之类的保护计划的成本。利益相关者对保护专业人员的信任和对风险管理能力的信心等因素可能在确定当地居民如何支持和重视再引入物种的保护方面发挥重要作用。这项研究分析了从对东田纳西州麋鹿修复区附近居民进行的家庭调查中收集的数据，发现他们为重新引入麋鹿保护支付的意愿（WTP）为每户45.53美元。此外，WTP与对代理专业人员的信任和信心正相关，与与麋鹿相关的感知风险负相关。根据居民对土地的收入和人口特征的依赖性，WTP也会有所不同。