The grizzly bear (Ursus arctos) is listed as a threatened species in the lower 48 states by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service under the Endangered Species Act. The purpose of that act is to provide for the conservation of both threatened and endangered species and the ecosystems upon which they depend. It is biological in its orientation. However, the act also has economic implications. Affording 'threatened' status to grizzly bears implies the economic value of the bears is very high-society will do almost anything necessary to preserve and maintain grizzly bears in the 6 national forests and 2 national parks that comprise the Yellowstone Recovery Zone. The purpose of this paper is to explore the economic ramifications of the Endangered Species Act as it applies to grizzly bears in the Yellowstone Recovery Zone. The paper also explores how economic information can be used in management decisions that affect bears and people in this zone. To address these issues, this paper considers: (1) identification of the components of economic value as applied to grizzly bears in the Yellowstone Grizzly Bear Recovery Zone, (2) evidence of the potential magnitudes of those values, (3) their management implications, and (4) whether some components of economic value can be captured in the communities surrounding Yellowstone.
- Volume 9
- Issue
- Pages 575-582
- Publication Date 1 January 1994
- DOI 10.2307/3872746
- File Size 306.42 KB
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