# Galvesto n Bay National Estuary Progra

m GBNEP-3 8 Jun e 199 4 

# Th e Economi c Valu e o f Improvin g Th e Environmenta l Qualit y o f Galvesto n Ba

y

## GBNEP-3 8 The Economi c Valu e o f Improvin g The Environmental Qualit y o f Galvesto n Ba

y Jun e 199

4

# Th e Economi c Valu e o f Improvin g Th e Environmental Qualit y o f Galvesto n Bay

printe do n recycle dpape r usin g soy-base dink

# The Economi c Valu e o f Improvin g The Environmental Qualit y o f Galvesto n Ba

y

Prepare db y Dal e Whittingto n Glenn Cassidy Debora h Amara l Elizabet h McClellan d Hu aWan g Christin e Poulo s Departmen tof

Environmenta

l Sciences and Engineering The Universit

y o f Nort h Carolina atChape

l Hil l

The Galvesto n Ba

y Nationa

l Estuar y Progra

m 

### Publicatio n GBNEP-3 8 Jun e 199 4 iiiThis project has been funded in part by the United

States Environmental Protection Agency under

assistance agreement

# CE-006550-01 to the Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission. The contents of this document do not necessarily represent

the views of

the United

States Environmental Protection Agency or

the Texas Natural

Resource Conservation Commission, nor do the contents of

this document

necessarily constitute the views or policy of the Galveston Bay National Estuary Program Management Conference. The information presented is intended

to provide background information for

Management

Conference deliberations in drafting of official policy in the Comprehensive Conservation and Management

Plan (CCMP). The mention of

trade names or

commercial

products does not in any way constitute an endorsement or recommendation for

use.

ivPolicy Committe e Th e Honorabl e Rodne y Ellis , Chai r

Texas Senate Mr
. John Hall Chair, Texas Natural

Resource Conservation Commission Mr
. Jame s Blackbur

n Galveston Bay Foundation
Mr
. Charle s Mille

r Past Chairman of

the Board

of Directors, Greater Houston Partnership Ms
. Jan e Sagina w Regional Administrator, EPA Region 6 Ms
. Terr y Hershe y Commissioner, Texas Parks and

Wildlife Commission Mr
. Charle s W
. Jennes s Chair, Texas Water

Development

Board Local Government

s Advisor

y Committe e Th e Honorabl e Ra

y Holbrook , Chai r Managemen

tCommittee Mr
. Myro n O
. Knudson , Chai r Mr
. To mRemaley , Vice-Chair Scientific/Technical Advisor y Committe e Dr
. Rober t McFarlane , Chai r

Ms
. Teres aBattenfield , Vice-Chair Citizen' s Advisor

y Steering Committee Ms
. Sharro n Stewart , Chair Mr
. Ro n Embry , Vice-Chair Galvesto n Ba

y Publi c Foru

m Dr
. Do n Bass , Chai r Progra m Directo r Dr
. Frank

S
. Shiple y

V

### The Galvesto n Ba y Nationa

l Estuar y Progra m Texan s increasingl y expres s thei r expectation s fo r

aclea n environmen t

i n term s o f entir e ecosystems . Unti l recently , ou r tendenc y wa s t o vie w environmenta l problem s i n isolate dpiece s w e coul dunderstand—indee dthi s vie w wa s institutionalize d(an d seemingly immortalized ) i n a n elaborate mosai c o f

fragmente djurisdictions
. Th e Galvesto n Bay Nationa l Estuar y Program(GBNEP ) i s aforerunne r i n elevatin g hands

o n managemen t

o f coastal environment s t o th e leve l o f th e ecosystem ; an di n doin g so , i s encouragin g an integratio n o f traditionall y disparat e institutions
. Th e GBNE P wa s establishe dunde r th e authority o f

th e Wate r

Qualit y Ac t o f 198 7 t o develo p aComprehensiv e Conservatio n an dManagemen t Plan (CCMP ) fo r

Galvesto n Bay
. Th e purpos e o f

th e CCM P i s t o addres s threat s t o th e Bay resultin g fro mpollution , development , an doveruse . T o addres s thes e threats , fiv e year s o f wor k commence di n 1990 , consistin g o f

thre e phases : (1 ) Identificatio n o f th e specifi c problem s facin g th e Bay ; (2 ) A Bay-wid e effor t t o compil e dat aan dinformatio n t o describ e status , trends , an dprobabl e cause s relate dt o th e identifie dproblems ; an d(3 ) Creatio n o f th e CCM P itsel f to enhanc e governanc e o f th e Ba y a t th e ecosystemlevel
. Th e GBNEP i s accomplishin g thi s wor

k throug h acooperativ e agreement betwee n th e U.S
. EP A (Regio n 6 ) an dth e Stat e o f Texa s (administere db y th e Texa s Natura l Resourc e Conservatio n Commission. ) Th e structur e o f

th e GBNE P reflect s astron g commitmen t t o consensus-buildin g amon g al l Galvesto n Bay use r

groups , governmen t

agencies , an dth e public
. Th e GBNE P "Managemen t

Conference " consist s o f

si x Governor-appointe dcommittee s with broa d representation , totalin g abou t on e hundre dindividuals
. Meeting s o f thes e committee s are als o ope n to th e public , an dpubli c participatio n i n policy-settin g an di n Ba y managemen t

ar e considere dstrength s o f th e program . Whe n submitte dt o th e Governo r o f Texa s i n lat e 1994 , th e CCM P wil l reflec t thousand s o f

hour s o f involvemen t

(muc h i n th e for mo f

voluntee r

time ) b y individual s wh o i n variou s way s use , enjoy , o r hel p gover n thi s vital coasta

l resource .

vii

### TABL E O F CONTENT S

Section Page LIS T O F TABLE S xi LIS T O F FIGURE S xi v EXECUTIV E SUMMARY 1 PAR T I : OVERVIEW Chapte r 1 Introductio n 1 1 PART II : STUD Y DESIG N AND IMPLEMENTATIO N Chapter 2 Developmen t

o f th e Contingen t

Valuatio n Surve y Instrument s . . 2 3 Chapte r 3 Final Questionnair e Desig n an dSurve y Implementatio n 3 7 PART III : STUD Y RESULT S Chapte r 4 Overvie w o f

Stud y Result s 4 9 Chapte r 5 Th e Factor s Determinin g Households ' Willingnes s t o Support a Managemen t

Pla n fo r Galvesto n Bay 7 1 Chapte r 6 Estimate s o f

th e Economi c Valu e o f Improvement s i n th e Environmenta l Quality o f Galvesto n Ba

y 8 1 Chapte r 7 Summar y an dConclusion s 8 9 REFERENCE S 10 5 APPENDI X 1 Estimate s o f th e Economi c Valu e o f

Variou s Use s o f

Galvesto n Bay Base do n Othe r

Methodological Approache s 10 9 Prefac e Overvie w o f Service s Provide db y th e Bay 1l l Chapte r I Estimate s o f

th e Economi c Valu e o f

Recreationa l an dCommercial Use s of Galvesto n Ba

y 11 3 Chapte r I I Th e Margina l Valu e o f Wetlan dSystem s fo r

Recreationa l Fisherie s i n Galvesto n Ba

y 13 1 Chapte r II I Th e Economi c Valu e o f Galvesto n Bay : A n Embodie dEnerg y Analysi s 13 9 APPENDI X 2 Th e Sampl e Selectio n Mode l 14 9 APPENDI X 3 Correspondenc e an dQuestionnaire s Use di n th e Contingen t Valuatio n Surve y 167 APPENDI X 4 Frequenc y Tabulation s o f Response s fro mQuestionnaire s ... . 24 1
ix

### TABL E O F CONTENT S

Section Page 

### Par t I Mail/In-Perso n Follow-U p Surve y Result s 24 3 Par t I I Mail-Onl y Surve y Result s 27 7

X