Willingness To Pay for a State Gypsy Moth Control Program in New Hampshire: A Contingent Valuation Case Study

Abstract

The willingness to pay (WTP) for a state gypsy moth, Lymantria dispar (L.), control program in New Hampshire was estimated through a case study examination of three towns using the contingent valuation method (CVM). Data were acquired by means of a questionnaire mailed to 2,400 randomly selected households in the spring of 1991. Logit regression models were constructed for each town and their aggregate combination to estimate WTP. The WTP estimates ranged from a low estimate of $27 ($13 per hectare [$5 per acre]) to a high estimate of $83 ($57 per hectare [$23 per acre]) annually for each household. A variety of socioeconomic and demographic variables were included in the models, some of which were significant in influencing WTP. The results of this study could enable better assessment of the political and economic viability of implementing gypsy moth control programs. This study may also serve as a CVM model for estimating WTP values for insect-pest control programs.