Sample Refuge and Management District Descriptions
Regional Economic Analysis The economic area for the Refuge is Martin and Palm Beach Counties in Florida. It is assumed that visitor expenditures occur primarily within these two counties. Visitor recreation expenditures for 2011 are shown in Table 4-38. Total expenditures were $1.6 million with non-residents accounting for nearly $1.2 million or 72 percent of total expenditures. Expenditures on non-consumptive activities accounted for 91 percent of all expenditures. Table 4-39 summarizes the local economic effects associated with recreation visits. Final demand totaled $2.5 million with associated employment of 17 jobs, $737,600 in employment income and $310,300 in total tax revenue. Table 4-38. Hobe Sound NWR: Visitor Recreation Expenditures (2011 $,000) Activity
Residents
Non-Residents
Total
$336.7
$1,142.8
$1,479.6
Hunting
$0.0
$0.0
$0.0
Fishing
$117.0
$29.3
$146.3
Total Expenditures
$453.8
$1,172.1
$1,625.8
Non-Consumptive
Table 4-39. Hobe Sound NWR: Local Economic Effects Associated with Recreation Visits (2011 $,000) Residents Final Demand Jobs Job Income Total Tax Revenue
Non-Residents
Total
$689.3
$1,774.8
$2,464.0
5
12
17
$211.1
$526.5
$737.6
$90.9
$219.4
$310.3
Table 4-40 shows total economic effects (total recreation expenditures plus net economic value) compared with the refuge budget for 2011. For an individual, net economic value is that person's total willingness to pay for a particular recreation activity minus his or her actual expenditures for that activity. The figure for economic value is derived by multiplying net economic values for hunting, fishing, and non-consumptive recreation use (on a per-day basis) by estimated refuge visitor days for that activity. This figure is combined with the estimate of total expenditures and divided by the refuge budget for 2011. The $9.88 means that for every $1 of budget expenditures, $9.88 of total economic effects are associated with these budget expenditures. This ratio is provided only for the purpose of broadly comparing the magnitude of economic effects resulting from refuge visitation to budget expenditures and should not be interpreted as a benefit-cost ratio.
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