Environmental Economics

Field Research--Invasive species

During my recent vacation (a whirlwind family tour of the Western Caribbean), I spent some time on the island of Roatan (off the coast of Honduras).  Being a good environmental steward--stop laughing--I spent some time talking with a representative from the Roatan Marine Park--OK, my family was shopping and I was bored so I stopped by a kiosk for the Marine Park*.  I learned that their #1 concern right now is the impact of the invasive Lionfish on tourism.  So upon my return to snowy Ohio, I looked up the Marine Park website and saw this:

Economic costs from invasive species can occur through loss of recreational and tourism revenues. This is a particularly the case with the invasive Pterois volitans (lionfish) on Roatan where so much revenue is dependent on the tourism industry. When economic costs of invasions are calculated as production loss and management costs, they are low because they do not consider environmental damage; if monetary values were assigned to the extinction of species, loss in biodiversity, and loss of ecosystem services, costs from impacts of invasive species would drastically increase.

I think something more specific than 'drastically' is needed.  I think I may have found my calling.

Also intriguing:

Lionfish were accidentally released into the Atlantic from Biscayne Bay Florida in 1992 following hurricane Andrew. Genetic analysis reveals that lionfish in the Caribbean have likely all originated from this population

*To prove my good stewardship I bought a Roatan Marine Park t-shirt for $10.  On the back it has a WANTED poster for lionfish with the caption "Eat More Lionfish."

I know, I just know, that you're hoping for another BFD moment

Don't get me wrong, I'm above the median excited about the vice presidential debate at Centre College ... :

Centre, Kentucky’s most exclusive liberal arts college, believes the $3 million that it will spend to host the event is worth every penny because it will serve as both a teaching opportunity and a chance to lure some of the best young brains in the nation and the world. 

Danville officials see it as a chance to ultimately draw businesses and new residents to the city that this year was named by CNNMoney as the fourth best place in the United States to retire. ...

Roush said there is no hard evidence to prove the 2000 debate helped the school but he believes hosting debates helps to teach students that they can succeed in whatever they try. ...

He added that no educational money is spent on the debate. The $3 million it costs — including $1.6 million that goes directly to the commission — is raised from donors specifically for the event. ...

Another change is that 12 years ago, Boyle County, in which Danville is located, was completely dry. And despite the fact that the debate was sponsored by beer giant Anheuser-Busch, not a drop of alcohol was to be had.

But in 2003 Danville went “moist,” allowing liquor sales at just a handful of large restaurants. In 2010, the city went “wet,” allowing bars and package liquor stores.

So instead of leaving the county for restaurants where they could have alcohol with dinner, as they did in 2000, visitors are expected this year to partake locally. Scott said there are 14 restaurants with liquor licenses in town and one bar.

via www.courier-journal.com

But I do have a few comments:

1. No hard evidence that the $3 million is worth it? The teaching moment would have to be worth over $2000 for each of the 1300+ Centre College students to make it a good deal.
2. No educational money is spent for the event? It is quite possible that the $3 million raised for the debate results in reduced money raised from private donors for educational purposes. 
3. Can you believe that the 2000 vice presidential debate was awarded to a dry town? The only beer that could be found was at the frat houses. I'm
4. Finally, are the rumors true? Joe Biden will drive his Trans Am from DC to Danville and Paul Ryan is organizing a pre-debate marathon?

One reason to visit Boone

The word of Boone’s great roads and trails have caught the national media eye again. The folks over at Velo News have featured Boone and Rocky Knob as one of the top US riding areas. Stop by a local shop to pick up the rag.

via rockyknob.wordpress.com

I agree with everthing except the Ingles promotion, I prefer Harris Teeter (more freebies). Click for a larger image:

 

What do Burmese pythons, Asian beetles and Asian carp all have in common?

Answer: They are all univited (and unwanted?) guests in U.S. ecosystems.  That, and they're all Asian.  But I'm sticking with the invasive species angle.

Ohio officials have long considered the Asian carp a dire threat to Lake Erie’s $10 b illion-a-year tourism and fishing industries. Concerns have grown since 2009, when DNA tests indicated the fish had slipped past a Chicago-area electric barrier meant to keep them out of Lake Michigan.

The carp eat most of the food that native fish rely on. Some specimens can weigh as much as 50 pounds.

“The key is to stop them before they get in, and that’s why these physical barriers are so important,” said David Ullrich, the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative director. “We need a higher degree of certainty.”

...

Ohio government leaders, including Gov. John Kasich, express support for the barriers but are concerned about funding the project.

Kristy Meyer, clean-water director for the Ohio Environmental Council, said the risk justifies the expense.

“One out of every 10 jobs on the lake is supported by tourism,” Meyer said. “That’s all at risk."

via www.dispatch.com

Just a quick back-of-the-envelope calculation to see if the risk justifies the expense:  The proposed barrier costs $3,000,000,000.  My quick calculation is there are roughly 300,000 people employed in Ohio Lake Erie bordering counties who are not employed in Cleveland or Toledo (I'm ruling out urban jobs as they are unlikely to be affected by loss of tourism).  If 1 in 10 of those jobs are at risk, and Ohio's portion of the cost of is 50%, then we are talking about $50,000 in expense per job loss prevented ($1,500,000,000/30,000).  Worth it?  You be the judge.

Your daily ray of sunshine from your least favorite blogger

This is making the local news (America's fastest growing small towns):

To determine which smaller cities are growing fastest, we used census data to calculate the population growth rate between 2007 and 2010 for every Metropolitan and Micropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) with fewer than 100,000 people. These statistical areas are geographic entities defined by the U.S. government that usually encompass a core municipality and its suburbs. The truly smallest towns in America were excluded from our ranking, as micropolitan areas must have populations of at least 10,000. And though the data from 2007 and 2010 is not ideally comparable—the 2007 populations are official estimates based on the 2000 Census, while the 2010 numbers are actual counts—it still provides a good snapshot of how these areas have grown.

Retirees also contributed to the rapid growth of two other places on our list: Boone, N.C., and Heber, Utah, both popular leisure destinations, coming in at No. 4 and 5. ...

The population of Boone, a ski area nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains, rose 14.7% to 51,079. It has a median income of $31,967 and a below-the-national-average unemployment rate of 7.2%, and it was recently named one of the 10 best places to retire by U.S. News & World Report. In addition, it’s home to Appalachian State University.

“Boone is a university town, but more than most university towns, it is dominated by the university,” says Todd Cherry, director of the Center for Economic Research and Policy Analysis at Appalachian State. “Indeed, enrollment exceeds the town’s population. Between 2007 and 2010, university enrollment increased by nearly 2,000 students, and [university] employment increased by about 200 people. That’s a primary factor in Boone’s recent growth.”

Grump: At the 15% rate Boone's population will double to 88,000 in about 20 years. That will be great, maybe my mortgage won't be underwater by the time I retire. And with 88,000 people there will be no where else to build and I'll be able to sell my house. Then I'll need one of these great small town lists to identify a place to retire to and join the thousands who also plan on ruining it. 

Southern Economic Association: AERE Call for Papers

Via the latest issue of the Review of Environmental Economics and Policy (link added):

The 2012 annual meeting of the SEA will be held at the Sheraton New Orleans Hotel in New Orleans, Louisiana, November 16–18, 2012. Authors wishing to have a paper considered for the AERE sessions should send a .pdf file by e-mail to John Whitehead, Appalachian State University: whiteheadjc@appstate.edu (with “AERE SEA” in the subject line of the e-mail). Deadline to submit is March 1, 2012. See the AERE web page for detailed instructions.

Small craft breweries as tourist destinations?

Instead of working on what I just told Tim I'd be working on, I'll post this:

Gov. Bev Perdue signed a bill into law Thursday that could help two large craft breweries to open operations in western North Carolina. The legislation -- House Bill 796 -- won nearly unanimous support among lawmakers.

Perdue issued this statement: "My top priority is creating jobs, and this bill will fuel the expansion of an industry that has already put down roots in North Carolina," Gov. Perdue said. "North Carolina’s top-ranked business climate helps us attract new businesses and help existing ones grow and thrive."

"The legislation will allow all breweries to offer tastings and sell their products on site, a change aimed at drawing new breweries – and new jobs – into North Carolina. In recent years, the state has seen a sharp growth in small craft breweries, and the new law will help attract new operations interested in opening breweries that also serve as tourist destinations." For more on the bill read here.

via projects.newsobserver.com

Imagine the size of that multiplier!

From the link:

The legislation now before Gov. Bev Perdue is aimed at attracting Sierra Nevada and New Belgium, two well-known midsize breweries, to western North Carolina. But brewers hope it further ferments the state's reputation as a beer capital.

Hmmm, Torpedo IPA in western NC ... imagine the size of that multiplier!

Until now, state law reserved the beer garden niche to breweries that produced less than 25,000 barrels a year, using the cap as a way to help regulate alcohol sales. All of the state's approximately 50 small craft breweries fit under the ceiling in the existing law.

State Rep. Tim Moffitt, an Asheville Republican, said the change would help attract the Colorado-based New Belgium and the California-based Sierra Nevada to open East Coast production facilities, potentially creating about 275 jobs and more than $200 million in capital investments.

New Belgium is looking to open a facility in Asheville and Sierra Nevada is eyeing property in Hendersonville, officials said.