Online Resource 2: Valuation of Fishing Days
Climatic Change Article: Climate Change Impacts on Freshwater Fish, Coral
Reefs, and Related Ecosystem Services in the United States
Authors: Diana Lane, Russell Jones, David Mills, Cameron Wobus, Richard C.
Ready, Robert W. Buddemeier, Eric English, Jeremy Martinich, and Kate Shouse,
and Heather Hosterman
Corresponding author: Diana Lane, Stratus Consulting Inc.,
dlane@stratusconsulting.com
The methodology used for this analysis is described fully in Jones et al. (2012); a
brief description of the methodology is provided below for the reader’s
convenience. The methodology in Jones et al. (2012) involved the following
steps:

Projecting future climate conditions in a gridded format based on future
climate scenarios.

Establishing a baseline of gridded historical climate.

Developing an air/water temperature relationship using nonlinear
regressions based on data for relatively natural streams not modified by
dams. These regressions are used to project future stream temperatures
based on modeled future air temperatures.

Modeling fish habitat thermal suitability based on thermal tolerances for
cold, cool/warm water, and rough fish guilds.

Calculating changes in streamflow for each climate scenario and time
period using projected precipitation and temperature data.

Calculating stream habitat area to derive changes in acreages for each fish
guild, summed by states (see Online Resource 1 for additional calculation
details).

Performing economic modeling using a recreational fishing model to
project changes in the number of fishing days and total valuation of
recreational fisheries for each guild, climate scenario, and time period.
In Jones et al. (2012), estimates of the consumer surplus value for a day of
coldwater recreational fishing were developed following the method reported in
EPA (1995). The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency study relied on Walsh
et al. (1992) to determine the value of coldwater and cool/warmwater fishing trips,
then used adjustments from Charbonneau and Hay (1978) to estimate a value for
fishing for “rough species” that is calculated as a proportion of the
cool/warmwater value. To update the values, Jones et al. (2012) conducted a
literature search to identify relevant valuation studies conducted since 1988, the
last year included in the Walsh et al. (1992) study. Five new studies were
identified for coldwater fishing; no new studies were identified specifically
associated with cool/warmwater or rough fishing. The new coldwater studies were
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combined with the Walsh et al. coldwater values in proportion to the number of
individual value estimates available. Specifically, the five new sources included
20 coldwater value estimates, which were combined with 48 coldwater values
included in Walsh et al. (1992). The inclusion of the new values resulted in a 6%
increase in the estimated per day value of coldwater fishing.
Value estimates for all three types of fishing from Jones et al. (2012) were
converted from 2009 dollars to 2005 dollars using the Consumer Price Index, to
be consistent with other values in the Climate Change Impacts and Risk Analysis
framework. For the analysis presented in this paper, the estimated value of a
coldwater fishing day was $59.74, the estimated value of a cool/warmwater day
was $39.31, and the estimated value of a rough fishing day was $31.04.
References
Charbonneau JJ, Hay MJ (1978) Determinates and economic values of hunting and fishing.
Transactions of the North American Wildlife and Natural Resources Conference 43:391403
EPA (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency) (1995) Ecological impacts from climate change: an
economic analysis of freshwater recreational fishing. EPA, Report EPA-230-R-93-004. Prepared
for the Office of Policy, Planning, and Evaluation, Climate Change Division, Adaptation Branch,
Washington, DC
Jones RW, Travers C, Rodgers C, Lazar B, English E, Lipton J, Vogel J, Strzepek K, Martinich J
(2012) Climate change impacts on freshwater recreational fishing in the United States. Mitig
Adapt Strateg Glob Change. doi: 10.1007/s11027-012-9385-3
Walsh RG, Johnson DM, McKean JR (1992) Benefit transfer of outdoor recreation demand
studies, 1968–1988. Water Resour Res 28(3):707713
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