CONSERVATION LAND AMENITIES AND REGIONAL ECONOMIES: A POSTMATCHING DIFFERENCE‐IN‐DIFFERENCES ANALYSIS OF THE NORTHWEST FOREST PLAN |
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| Authors: | Yong Chen David J Lewis Bruce Weber |
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| Institution: | 1. Department of Applied Economics, Oregon State University, Ballard Extension Hall 219B, Corvallis, OR;2. Department of Applied Economics, Oregon State University, Ballard Extension Hall 200A, Corvallis, OR;3. Department of Applied Economics, Oregon State University, Ballard Extension Hall 240G, Corvallis, OR |
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| Abstract: | The 1994 Northwest Forest Plan (NWFP) resulted in the protection of over 11 million acres of public forestland in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. This paper quantifies the amenity effect arising from protected NWFP lands on long‐run community economic growth. Using community fixed effects and postmatching panel regression to control for many sources of bias, we find highly localized and positive amenity impacts on the growth in median income, population, and property values for small communities close to protected NWFP land, as compared to communities far from the NWFP. We find no effect on medium‐sized communities. |
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