The Economic Value of Water and Ecosystem Preservation

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Water Safari. The Water Safari is a 262-mile, nonstop canoe race that begins in San Marcos and finishes in Seadrift, on the San Antonio Bay. Other variations of the race also finish in the Bay. In 2003, there were 682 contestants participating in various forms of marathon canoe racing along the Guadalupe River and into the San Antonio Bay (Texas Water Safari, 2004). 3.3.3. Economic Impact of Ecotourism Expenditures and economic impacts from ecotourism are notoriously difficult to characterize. Definitions differ about what constitutes the “ecotourism industry,” and because ecotourism is comprised of elements of other sectors such as the travel, hotel, and restaurant industries, obtaining accurate economic data regarding ecotourism (and tourism in general) presents a challenge. However, by any account, the ecotourism industry in Texas is enormous. In 2003, Total Direct Travel spending in Texas was $41.2 billion, ranking Texas third among all states with a 6 percent share of domestic travel spending (Only California and Florida have a greater market share). This spending directly supported 477,000 jobs with earnings of $13.3 billion (Dean Runyan Associates, 2004). Nature-based tourism increased by 63% from 1980 to 1990, making it the fastest growing sector of the state travel industry. It generates $1 billion in state taxes, $739 million in local taxes, and $1.4 billion of economic activity. Average per capita personal income for 2002 in 2002 dollars ranged from $22,351 in Calhoun County, $26,411 in Refugio County, and $25,394 in Aransas County, compared to per capita personal income of $28,472 for Texas and $30,511 for the nation. The larger, 19 county Coastal Bend region yielded a total gross regional product of $17.5 billion in 2000. Tables 3-3 and 3-4 summarize basic figures regarding personal income, production earning and travel impacts in the region. In the Coastal Bend region, as noted by the Texas state comptroller’s office, tourism was the fourth largest industry (by employment) behind health care, services to businesses, and government. Tourism between 1980 and 2001 grew at an average annual rate of 3.2%, in terms of total spending, making it one of the fastest growing industries in the region (Strayhorn, 2002). While irrigated agriculture and in particular, ranching played historically significant roles in shaping the San Antonio Bay’s regional economy and culture, agriculture today contributes less than 1% of total personal income (Table 3-3). Manufacturing constitutes a large sector in the economy of Calhoun County. In contrast, in Aransas and Refugio counties, services represent one of the major and expanding job sources. Most of that growth has come in health services and in services related to tourism, i.e., recreation and entertainment. 28
Table 3-3. Personal Income and Production Earnings By County, 2003 ($000) Aransas Refugio Calhoun Total Per Capita Personal Income a 25,394 26,411 22,351 Total Personal Income 601,043 200,167 456,752 1,257,962 Non-farm Personal Income 601,595 196,535 448,512 1,246,642 100.1% 98.2% 98.2% 99.1% Farm Earnings -552 3,632 8,240 11,320 -0.1% 1.8% 1.8% 0.9% Dividends, Interest and Rent 148,733 60,998 69,956 279,687 24.7% 30.5% 15.3% 22.2% Transfer Payments 126,911 42,987 93,523 263,421 21.1% 21.5% 20.5% 20.9% Total Travel Spending b 65,596 23,614 12,741 101,951 10.9% 11.8% 2.8% 8.1% Production Earnings c 216,985 77,952 550,675 845,612 Farm Earnings -552 3,632 8,240 11,320 -0.1% 4.7% 1.5% 1.3% Non-farm Earnings 217,537 74,320 542,435 834,292 100.1% 95.3% 98.5% 98.7% Manufacturing 8,493 - 292,446 300,939 3.9% 53.1% 35.5% Retail Trade 34,027 8,770 19,591 62,388 15.7% 11.3% 3.6% 7.4% Health Care d 13,351 - - 13,351 6.2% 6.2% Government 37,478 22,510 56,156 116,144 17.3% 28.9% 10.1% 13.7% Total Travel Spending b 65,596 23,614 12,741 101,951 30.2% 30.3% 2.3% 12.1% Sources: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (2003) and Office of the Governor, Economic Development and Tourism (2003). Notes: a Percentages are based on contribution to total personal income. b Total Travel Spending is derived from the Texas Department of Economic Development, 2003, and does not refer to any single industry or sector. It is possible that there is some overlap with the other listed categories, although we believe such an overlap is small, if one exists at all. c “Production Earnings” excludes income derived from transfer payments and interest, dividends, and rent. Percentages reflect the particular sector’s contribution to production earnings, rather than total personal income. d The manufacturing data from Refugio county and the health care data from Refugio and Calhoun Counties was undisclosed by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis due to privacy issues. Thus, total manufacturing data excludes Refugio County and total health care data excludes Refugio and Calhoun Counties. 29
Page 1 and 2: Final Report to the Texas Coastal M
Page 3 and 4: 5.2.2. Sources / Data .............
Page 5 and 6: Executive Summary The San Antonio B
Page 7 and 8: ecotourism included in the model. T
Page 9 and 10: 1. Overview of San Antonio Bay Regi
Page 11 and 12: and shellfish species and estuarine
Page 13 and 14: According to the Rockport-Fulton Ch
Page 15 and 16: effect is limited by assimilative c
Page 17 and 18: freshwater inflow acts as a mechani
Page 19 and 20: sulfide. Heavy metals bounds to sed
Page 21 and 22: inflow levels and populations of se
Page 23 and 24: and could potentially make the cran
Page 25 and 26: 3. Characterization of Ecotourism i
Page 27 and 28: Contributes actively to the conserv
Page 29 and 30: Figure 3-1. Public Protected Areas
Page 31 and 32: 1987 and then purchased in 1991. Pr
Page 33 and 34: 3.3.2. The Economics of Multiple Na
Page 35: Table 3-2. Average Willingness to P
Page 39 and 40: impact. It is necessary to conduct
Page 41 and 42: 4.2. Key Site Details for the Analy
Page 43 and 44: approach allows examination of ques
Page 45 and 46: This average number of trips from t
Page 47 and 48: occasional flood and drought events
Page 49 and 50: The results of the regression yield
Page 51 and 52: gallons, which results in a value o
Page 53 and 54: Aransas distinguishes itself from C
Page 55 and 56: thresholds vary according the size
Page 57 and 58: The total number of full-time and p
Page 59 and 60: The County also shows a lower educa
Page 61 and 62: Refugio shows a rapid decrease in t
Page 63 and 64: IM t+ n ic = E t ic ⎡⎛ E × ⎢
Page 65 and 66: included an economic analysis of th
Page 67 and 68: Table 5-5. Employment Shift-Share A
Page 69 and 70: Fishing and related activities. The
Page 71 and 72: Figure 5-15. Employment change by s
Page 73 and 74: 5.3.2. Input-Output Analysis The in
Page 75 and 76: Calhoun Calhoun County’s experien
Page 77 and 78: an advantage, particularly in oyste
Page 79 and 80: Impacts on the Freshwater Inflows t
Page 81 and 82: However, due to the lack of consist
Page 83 and 84: This implicitly assumes that flows
Page 85 and 86: for fresh product. This fishery wil
Page 87 and 88:
Elliot, D. (2007). Competitive Adva
Page 89 and 90:
Pearce, D. W. (1994). The MIT Dicti
Page 91 and 92:
The Nature Conservancy. (2002). "Na
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