In this study I estimate the economic value of rock climbing in Smith Rock State Park, Oregon. This area has seen an increase in recreational visits over the years, especially in rock climbing, necessitating economic valuation of the site in order to assist park managers in optimal management of this resource. Given regular conflicts over use of rock climbing areas by a variety of stakeholders (recreational users, habitats, cultural uses, etc.) this study will help in understanding how benefits of recreation is affected when policies limit access to such areas. I collect original survey data on travel to Smith Rock and estimate an individual travel cost model (ITCM) to obtain the recreational value of rock climbing in Smith Rock. I find consumer surplus of about $182.15 per rock climber or $21.6 million annually for all rock climbing visits.
","abstract_html":"<p>In this study I estimate the economic value of rock climbing in Smith Rock State Park, Oregon. This area has seen an increase in recreational visits over the years, especially in rock climbing, necessitating economic valuation of the site in order to assist park managers in optimal management of this resource. Given regular conflicts over use of rock climbing areas by a variety of stakeholders (recreational users, habitats, cultural uses, etc.) this study will help in understanding how benefits of recreation is affected when policies limit access to such areas. I collect original survey data on travel to Smith Rock and estimate an individual travel cost model (ITCM) to obtain the recreational value of rock climbing in Smith Rock. I find consumer surplus of about $182.15 per rock climber or $21.6 million annually for all rock climbing visits.</p>","abstract_has_math":true,"creators":["Koefod, Cassandra"],"institution":null,"degree_name":"Master of Science (MS)","degree_level":null,"degree_discipline":"Cultural and Environmental Resource Management","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Toni Sipic","Chad Wassell","Carla Jellum"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2019,"date_issued":"2019-01-01T08:00:00Z","date_published":"2019-01-01T08:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T01:37:37Z","subjects":["economic valuation individual travel cost climbing","Econometrics","Economic Theory","Environmental Studies","Other Economics"],"languages":["English"],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://digitalcommons.cwu.edu/etd/1212","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Toni Sipic","Chad Wassell","Carla Jellum"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Koefod, Cassandra"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2025-06-13T07:00:00Z"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["Text"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Cultural and Environmental Resource Management"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Master of Science (MS)"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["economic valuation individual travel cost climbing","Econometrics","Economic Theory","Environmental Studies","Other Economics"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:language","label":"Dc Language","values":["English"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://digitalcommons.cwu.edu/etd/1212"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["In this study I estimate the economic value of rock climbing in Smith Rock State Park, Oregon. This area has seen an increase in recreational visits over the years, especially in rock climbing, necessitating economic valuation of the site in order to assist park managers in optimal management of this resource. Given regular conflicts over use of rock climbing areas by a variety of stakeholders (recreational users, habitats, cultural uses, etc.) this study will help in understanding how benefits of recreation is affected when policies limit access to such areas. I collect original survey data on travel to Smith Rock and estimate an individual travel cost model (ITCM) to obtain the recreational value of rock climbing in Smith Rock. I find consumer surplus of about $182.15 per rock climber or $21.6 million annually for all rock climbing visits.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Estimating the Economic Value of Rock Climbing in Smith Rock: An individual travel cost approach"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Toni Sipic","Chad Wassell","Carla Jellum"],"dc:creator":["Koefod, Cassandra"],"dc:date.available":["2025-06-13T07:00:00Z"],"dc:description.abstract":["In this study I estimate the economic value of rock climbing in Smith Rock State Park, Oregon. This area has seen an increase in recreational visits over the years, especially in rock climbing, necessitating economic valuation of the site in order to assist park managers in optimal management of this resource. Given regular conflicts over use of rock climbing areas by a variety of stakeholders (recreational users, habitats, cultural uses, etc.) this study will help in understanding how benefits of recreation is affected when policies limit access to such areas. I collect original survey data on travel to Smith Rock and estimate an individual travel cost model (ITCM) to obtain the recreational value of rock climbing in Smith Rock. I find consumer surplus of about $182.15 per rock climber or $21.6 million annually for all rock climbing visits.
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