This revealed preference study estimates the implicit value associated with owning a home along a river and tree coverage of riparian areas along rivers. The setting of this study is Ashe and Watauga Counties in Northwestern North Carolina and the two rivers that flow through those counties: New River and Watauga River. House sales form the basis of the hedonic models used to value these environmental characteristics. Homes that border a river sell for at least $28,000 more than otherwise similar homes that do not border a river. Riparian area tree coverage positively impacts river-bordering house prices, but only to a certain point. The results of this study are important for environmental organizations in this region working to safeguard the New and Watauga Rivers through riparian buffer installation and protection. / Master of Science / This study describes homeowner values of owning a home near a river, along with values associated with tree coverage of riparian areas along rivers. The setting of this study is Ashe and Watauga Counties in Northwestern North Carolina and the two rivers that flow through those counties: New River and Watauga River. Using home sales data, models estimate the value of two environmental characteristics home properties. This research found that homes bordering a river sell for at least $28,000 more than otherwise similar homes that do not border a river. Having any amount of tree coverage up to 90% tree coverage in a riparian area increases home sale prices, therefore homeowners positively value tree coverage in riparian areas to a point. Tree coverage in riparian areas is beneficial for the protection of rivers and river-dependent wildlife. The results of this study are important for environmental organizations in this region working to safeguard the New and Watauga Rivers through riparian buffer installation and protection.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:VTETD/oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/112645 |
| Date | 24 May 2021 |
| Creators | Vannoy, Mallory Drew |
| Contributors | Agricultural and Applied Economics, Boyle, Kevin J., Stephenson, Stephen Kurt, Sorice, Michael G. |
| Publisher | Virginia Tech |
| Source Sets | Virginia Tech Theses and Dissertation |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | ETD, application/pdf |
| Coverage | North Carolina, United States |
| Rights | In Copyright, http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/ |
Page generated in 0.0016 seconds