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An Ocean Blueprint for the 21st Century - California Ocean ...

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The value of beach recreation Beaches are among<strong>the</strong> coast’s most important recreational resources.Their economic value is comprised of <strong>the</strong> expendituresthat visitors make to visit <strong>the</strong> beach and <strong>the</strong>value to <strong>the</strong> beach-goer over and above what <strong>the</strong>yspend. A significant body of research has attemptedto measure <strong>the</strong>se values. While <strong>the</strong> research methodsand approaches have differed, most of <strong>the</strong> researchhas shown that <strong>the</strong> non-market values of <strong>the</strong> use andenjoyment of beaches are significant.Sou<strong>the</strong>rn Cali<strong>for</strong>nia has among <strong>the</strong> most famousbeaches in <strong>the</strong> world. The beaches of Orange Countyattract upwards of 150,000 visits per day in <strong>the</strong> summer.Studies of <strong>the</strong> value of use and enjoyment 21 ofsou<strong>the</strong>rn Cali<strong>for</strong>nia beaches range from $18.00 perday <strong>for</strong> Santa Monica beaches to $23.00 per day <strong>for</strong>Huntington Beach. (Hanneman, M. 2001) Thebeaches of Ohio are less well known, but just asimportant to <strong>the</strong> residents and visitors. Studies of <strong>the</strong>nor<strong>the</strong>rn Ohio beaches of Headlands State Park andMaumee Bay found values similar to Cali<strong>for</strong>nia of$15.60 per day <strong>for</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>for</strong>mer and $25.60 per day <strong>for</strong><strong>the</strong> latter. (Sohngen, B. et al. 1999) Summed over ayear, <strong>the</strong> value of using Santa Monica beach is estimatedat over $200 million <strong>for</strong> <strong>the</strong> 12 million visitorsto <strong>the</strong>se beaches. The comparable value <strong>for</strong>Huntington Beach is over $12 million, while <strong>the</strong>Ohio beaches are valued at $6.1 million (MaumeeBay) and $3.5 million (Headlands) based on <strong>the</strong>lower number of visitors. These studies illustrateboth <strong>the</strong> potential size of <strong>the</strong> non-market values ofbeaches, and <strong>the</strong> lack of data which exists in manyo<strong>the</strong>r beach-oriented coastal regions from Maine toHawaii.Because of <strong>the</strong> complexities in estimating <strong>the</strong>senon-market values, it will probably never be possibleto compile a single picture of <strong>the</strong>se values of <strong>the</strong>ocean and coasts in <strong>the</strong> same way we can with measuressuch as employment, wages, and output. But<strong>the</strong>se illustrations show that <strong>the</strong>se non-market valuesare often large and understanding <strong>the</strong>m is vital to ourability to manage ocean and coastal resources to bestadvantage.C 16A N O CEAN B LUEPRINT FOR THE 21ST C ENTURY

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