HomeMy WebLinkAboutAPA680<'
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Acres Amercian, Inc.
Susitna Hydroelectric Project
Feasibili.ty and License Study
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t. !1 LOSS of Ret Nat I on Befllefit§-___)-"
Wa agree that whitewater raft tr1ps and salmon f1sh1ng are CQN~Cnly
attributed h1ghet ~t benefits per recre~t,on day than boating or
fishing on a re~ervo1r. The u.s. Forest Serv1ce, for e~a~le. values
freshwater $port f1s~lng in Alask• at $18.00 (in 1990 dollars} per
recreation v1sitor da~. Anad~us sport fishing is valued at $52 ber
da~ (U.S. Forest serv1ee 1983).
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Ths-~ojett .. however, is net e~peeted to have . ._appreciab1e 1mpact on
sa1~n f1$h1ng in the project are., Sa1.on ~1grate the Sus1tna up to
Portage Creek just below Dev11 Ca"yon (E-7-2l). Se~era1 popular salmon
f'1shing spots tiXi5t 1n the area (e .. g., Ste;than lake, Prair'a Creek,
lower Portage Creek. Chun11na Cteek and Indian R1v8r) but will not be
Jdversely affected b~ the grojKt. Furthet, 1t ts ant1t1pated that the ......
Sus1tn1 s&1~n f1she~. downstream frOM Watana Oa~, ~Y be 1~roved by
the ~rojeet (£~7-28). -
The Jlrojeet ~uld produee lower valued reservoir fishing opportun1t1t$
o;;--
~ ad¢1t1on ~' not 1n place of. the higher valued ia1mon ~1shingw
There would, therefore~ be no net 1oss of recreation b~nefits re1at&d
to f1Sh1ng.
The spee1tl1zed nature of wh1teweter rafting and kayakin; generally
dictates a h1gh u~er dey va1ue. 8eeause of the small nu~er af user!
in the proj~t area, however, the user day value would haY! to be
tn,traord1narily high to oroduce a s1gt"l1f1cant eeoyu.m1c ~a1Uf, for ttte
1ost opportun1t1•s:; De~il Canyon Ra~ids, for ex•le, has baen tried )~ ... ~
by fewer thJn 40 ka~aktr! (E-7-22), ~· l1111ted use suggests that the
aconoM1t value of the resou~e 1s not large enough to reeeivs exten~1ve
analy51~ Ge!~+te the fe;t that tbere are a~t1~t1cal teebni~ues ~~Gh
c.aul.d.. be--used ta detem1ne 'tf1111ngnts5 to pay. Ibe reL~Q&S 1n Oev-11
CeyorrH-not ~ etOfiM\e 1cts, but the lOH--o .... f-.·...--.~~_ug.. .......... ..v.-+--
e~nt and a on tque reere~tion e•uutr t &nee-;--
53918
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References
U"S. forest Serv,ce.. 1983. Joa Jltehrkens, Reg,ona1 Eeonoemist: personil
c~n1eation. DetedMtr 1983.
53918
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