Abstract: |
This paper compares the non-market benefits received by several ethnic groups from prescribed burning and mechanical fuel reduction programs in California. A mail booklet with follow-up phone interview was used to elicit responses. Whites, African Americans and half the Hispanics received the survey in English, while the other half of the Hispanic sample received the survey in Spanish. Univariate test statistics on ethnicity and language indicated there were significant differences in interview response rates of Whites, African Americans and Hispanics (using both English and Spanish language versions). There is no statistical differences in willingness to pay logistic regression coefficients of Hispanics, Whites and African Americans for the prescribed burning program, but there were significant differences across groups for the mechanical fuel reduction program. Mean willingness to pay for prescribed burning was the $100 lower per year for Whites ($400) than African Americans ($505), but these differences are not significantly different. Willingness to pay of Whites ($437) for the mechanical fuel reduction program was half that of Hispanic's taking the survey in Spanish ($863), but the large confidence intervals suggest these differences are not statistically significant. The bid coefficient for African American's was insignificant for the mechanical fuel reduction program, while for Hispanics it was insignificant for the prescribed burning program. It is interesting that different ethnic groups respond differently to the two fuel treatment programs. Nonetheless, there is a substantial support and willingness to pay by Whites and African Americans for prescribed burning and for Whites and Hispanics for mechanical fuel reduction in California. |
