The Economic Benefits of California Desert Wildlands: 10 Years Since The California Desert Protection Act of 1994
Desert wildlands in southeastern California provide numerous direct and indirect economic benefits to humans. They provide a natural laboratory for scientific research, serve as a storehouse for biological diversity, and provide space for recreation activities. Many of these values were recognized by the California Desert Protection Act of 1994, which designated several national parks and wilderness areas in the California desert area for “the people of this and future generations.”
The purpose of this report is to estimate the total value of the economic benefits of wildlands in the California desert region. The analysis found that wildlands in the California desert generate economic values of approximately $1.3 billion per year and support nearly 3,700 jobs in the four counties of the region (Inyo, San Bernardino, Riverside, and Imperial Counties). Economic valuation of desert wildlands is important for a variety of reasons. In the ten years since the passage of the California Desert Protection Act, the pressures of urban expansion, pollution, and heavy vehicle traffic have increased the threats to desert ecosystems. Studies such as this one can help communicate to policy makers the range of economic values provided by desert wildlands to aid in effective and sustainable decisions about the future of the California desert.
Author: Robert Richardson, Ph.D.
Photo: Soda Mountains in California. Photo by John Dittli.
