Visitor Perceptions and Valuation of Visibility in the Great Gulf Wilderness, New Hampshire

USDA Forest Service Proceedings RMRS-P-15-VOL-5. 2000 In: Cole, David N.; McCool, Stephen F.; Borrie, William T.; O’Loughlin, Jennifer, comps. 2000. Wilderness science in a time of change conference— Volume 5: Wilderness ecosystems, threats, and management; 1999 May 23– 27; Missoula, MT. Proceedings RMRS-P-15-VOL-5. Ogden, UT: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station. L. Bruce Hill is Senior Scientist, Clean Air Task Force, Jackson, NH 03846. Wendy Harper is a Doctoral Candidate and John M. Halstead is a Professor of Resource Economics and Development, University of NH, Durham NH. Thomas H. Stevens is a Professor of Resource Economics at the University of Massachusetts and Ina Porras is a Masters Degree graduate of the University of Massachusetts. Kenneth D. Kimball is Research Director, Appalachian Mountain Club, Gorham, NH 03581. Abstract—New Hampshire’s White Mountain National Forest is well known for its mountain scenery and its diverse outdoor recreational opportunities. Within The Forest are two federally protected Class I wilderness areas, the Great Gulf Wilderness, and the Presidential Dry-River Wilderness. The expansive scenic vistas from these two wilderness areas are commonly impaired by regional haze, largely a byproduct of fossil fuel electric energy production upwind of the region. Consumer choice of electric suppliers, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s 1999 regional haze regulations, and other regional emissions reductions programs may work to change visibility in the White Mountain National Forest. This paper characterizes existing visibility conditions in the Great Gulf Wilderness, and outlines the design and preliminary results of an ongoing study of visitor perceptions of visibility. The objective of the study is to understand: a) visibility conditions in the Great Gulf Wilderness, b) the sensitivity of visitors to haze, and c) the economic value of potential visibility changes to visitors.