Exploring nonmarket values for the social impacts of environmental policy change

Although the majority of contingent valuation studies have been for environmental goods, the method can be applied to public goods in general. Further, a specific environmental policy may generate both positive and negative nonmarket values. This exploratory study investigates the presence of nonmarket values for maintaining the status quo land use and avoiding social impacts from an environmental policy change. The test case, grazing reform on federal lands in New Mexico, was chosen because of the complexity of the public debate. By switching the traditional perspective, we demonstrate the need to accommodate multi-dimensionality in nonmarket research into controversial policies.