ABSTRACT
This chapter describes the first-ever estimate of the total economic value of the entire National Park Service (NPS) including the lands managed by the NPS and the programs the agency administers. The same economic principles used to value market goods can be applied to estimate the economic values of non-market goods. K. Boyle and M. A. Markowski and R. W. Turner both recommend using hoice experiments when estimating economic values for NPS resources. Internet surveys have been growing in popularity among researchers due to their relatively low cost per survey and the availability of pre-recruited panels of households. The NPS’s programs aimed at conservation, education, and stewardship of historic and cultural sites are valued by the American public at $30 billion. These programs benefit millions of Americans who visit protected properties as well as large numbers of teachers and students who use educational curricula materials developed by NPS.
