Browsing by Author "Suter, Jordan, advisor"

Now showing 1 - 12 of 12

Open Access
Accounting for well capacity in the economic decision making of groundwater users
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2015) Collie, Samuel, author; Suter, Jordan, advisor; Manning, Dale, committee member; Schneekloth, Joel, committee member
Water conflicts unfolding around the world present the need for accurate economic models of groundwater use which couple traditional producer theory with hydrological science. We present a static optimization problem of individual producer rents, given groundwater as a variable input to production. In a break with previous literature, the model allows for the possibility of binding constraints on well capacity, which occur due to the finite lateral speed at which water moves underground. The theoretical model predicts that binding well yield constraints imply producers extract as much water as possible to maximize profit. Therefore, if producers are constrained, regions with more available water should consume more of it. We test this hypothesis empirically by modelling the effect of well yields on crop cover and water usage data. Our empirical results find that areas with higher than average well capacities tend to plant a more water intensive mix of crops, and use more groundwater. This straightforward result comes in contrast to previous economic models of groundwater use, which have assumed an interior solution to the irrigators’ profit maximization problem. Well capacity also affects how farmers respond to seasonal weather variation. Farms with high well capacity react sharply to seasonal precipitation, whereas low capacity farms show less adjustment. This research provides important inroads to understanding what drives irrigators’ behavior on the High Plains; a crucial step towards conserving this resource.
Open Access
An analysis of the impact of land tenure on groundwater use and attitudes concerning groundwater conservation in Colorado's Republican River Basin
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2017) Shepler, Ryan, author; Suter, Jordan, advisor; Goemans, Chris, committee member; Schneekloth, Joel, committee member
Groundwater pumping from an aquifer that exceeds the recharge rate results in decreases in future groundwater availability and well capacity. Economic research on groundwater pumping has generally assumed that groundwater is being managed myopically (Koundouri, 2004). Further research with the Ogallala aquifer has found contradictory results, with research from Pfieffer and Lin (2013) suggesting that there is dynamic decision making, while other empirical analysis has lead researchers to conclude there is no difference between myopic decision making and an otherwise optimal groundwater extraction strategy (Savage, 2011). Our research within the Republican River Basin of Colorado contributes to the literature by analyzing the impacts of land tenure on the extent to which tenants and owners make dynamically informed decisions. We find no evidence of heterogeneity in groundwater use as a result of land tenure, suggesting that groundwater decisions are being made myopically. Our research also uses data from a recently conducted survey within the region to examine the impact that tenure has in determining concern regarding groundwater availability, and support for policies within the region that would seek to conserve groundwater. Estimating multiple probit regressions, we find that tenant operators are less likely to be concerned about the long-term availability of groundwater, and that they are less likely to support groundwater management districts working to develop strategies that would seek to promote groundwater conservation. We do not find that tenure has an impact on support for specific policy mechanisms, but rather that well capacity is pivotal in driving support for these specific policies.
Open Access
Analyzing the impact of Hurricane Matthew on the housing market in Savannah Georgia
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2022) Wrigley, Adam, author; Hill, Alexandra, advisor; Suter, Jordan, advisor; Iverson, Terry, committee member
This study seeks to shed light on the relationship between destructive hurricanes and public belief in the increasing risk to homeownership from these storms as climate change progresses. We investigate the impact of Hurricane Matthew on transaction prices of properties in the city of Savannah, Georgia because it is an example of a natural disaster which was unique in severity for its era but is characteristic of storms which will become more common with warmer oceans and higher sea levels (IPPC 2021). Hurricane Matthew made landfall in 2016. It was the first category 5 hurricane in the Atlantic since 2007 and occurred late in the season relative to previous hurricanes in the area. We use a hedonic modeling approach to shed light on the perceived risk and vulnerability of owning low elevation real estate by comparing property prices before and after the hurricane. We do this to speculate on whether the impact of a single storm can noticeably change the behavior of market participants in a location. Within our hedonic modeling framework, we employ several econometric specifications including a difference-in-difference regression, an event study model, and a repeated sales model. Our findings indicate that homebuyers were willing to pay a premium for more protected homes, i.e. higher elevation homes, compared with less protected homes, i.e. lower elevation homes, in the two years after the storm. This changing preference for relatively safer homes within a county, at the expense of the amenities available to the low elevation homes such as ocean views, is consistent with increased belief in the immediate dangers of climate change following a destructive event.
Open Access
Burn scars and burnt s'mores: the impact of wildfire on camping demand in the years after a fire occurs
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2021) Lee, Marissa, author; Suter, Jordan, advisor; Bayham, Jude, advisor; Flores, David, committee member; Wei, Yu, committee member
While the impacts of wildfire are widely felt and expected to increase in the coming years, less is known about the long-term impacts on recreation sites, specifically campgrounds. Wildfires inhibit the ability of individuals to recreate during wildfire season and subsequent years, due to unsafe conditions as the environment recovers. Changing wildfire suppression strategies may also affect households' ability and desire to recreate. At the same time, the number of individuals recreating is expected to increase in the coming years. As people continue to recreate and fires increase in intensity and frequency, we contribute to the discussion on wildfire's impact on recreation. We evaluate the impact of wildfire on U.S. Forest Service campgrounds in the western United States over the 15 years after a fire occurs. We construct a dataset of camping reservations from 2008-2017 and the percentage of burned area within 10 kilometer of a campground from fires occurring 1984 onward. We find that wildfires significantly decrease reservations up to six years after the fire occurs. The loss in campground utilization from decreases in reservations have negative impacts at the aggregate and local levels. A typical campground experiencing wildfire has 8% of its buffered area burned. Over the 10 years of reservation data that we evaluate, fires impact an average of 60 campgrounds annually. Summing across the affected campgrounds and fires that occur in a typical year suggests the USFS can expect to lose $50,109 in the years after fires occur at treated campgrounds, not accounting for substitution to other campgrounds. Further, we can expect a typical campground treated by fire to lose 59 campers in the six years after fire. We can expect the negative impact to increase as recreation and wildfire risk increase in the future. Depressed spending due to a reduction of campers can negatively impact communities that depend on the influx of visitors during the camping season. Reduced camping in these areas can potentially reduce employment, creating larger income gaps between urban and rural communities.
Open Access
Camping in clearcuts: the impacts of timber harvesting on USFS campground utilization
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2022) Wallace, Kelly, author; Suter, Jordan, advisor; Bayham, Jude, committee member; McCollum, Dan, committee member; Tulanowski, Elizabeth, committee member
The United States Forest Service (USFS) governs its lands under multiple-use management, where land is managed for more than one purpose or objective to achieve the greatest possible combination of public benefits. Some objectives are compatible, while others are not (Clawson, 1974; Rose and Chapman, 2003; USFS, 2021c). This research seeks to inform the site location of future timber harvests relative to existing campgrounds by analyzing how past and current harvests near campgrounds have influenced campground utilization. Beyond this, the research also informs the expected impacts of timber harvesting and recreation on local economies. Previous economic research related to timber harvesting's impact on nearby recreation has been carried out at a smaller spatial scale or outside the U.S., and none have focused on campgrounds specifically (Eggers et al., 2018; Harshaw and Sheppard, 2013). Past studies find that intensive forest management changes the degree of naturalness of a forest and generally negatively impacts recreation. The research we conduct builds on these studies to apply a temporally and spatially explicit model to analyze harvesting's impact on campground utilization on USFS land across the Western U.S. We find that timber harvests significantly decrease reservations during the year of harvest. Furthermore, the selection method of harvest has the most negative impact, likely due to being the most common harvesting method both overall and near campgrounds. There are regional differences in campground demand during harvesting. Additionally, there is evidence to suggest that campground reservations continue to be impacted one year after a harvest takes place. The loss in campground utilization from the reduction in reservations during harvest years can be expected to have negative impacts on nearby tourism-dependent economies.
Open Access
Economic effects of oil and gas development on child health in Colorado
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2015) Ekoh, Susan S., author; Seidl, Andrew, advisor; Suter, Jordan, advisor; Pena, Anita, committee member
The oil and gas industry is a huge contributor to the economy of many countries and states worldwide. Even though the industry creates jobs and income, debates continue surrounding the environmental and human costs of the industry. There are many health concerns in particular because studies have shown that there is the potential for water and air pollution from emissions that are generated through oil and gas production processes. This study aims to contribute to the body of knowledge on this issue by exploring the potential economic effects of oil and gas development on child respiratory health. Using state in-patient data from the Agency for Research and Health Quality (ARHQ)-Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP), I estimate difference-in-difference results to measure the potential effects of oil and gas production in Colorado over time, between the years 2004 and 2013 and for children between ages 0 and 19. Results reveal that over time from 2004 until 2013, oil and gas had no significant effect on child respiratory health. For individual years, results for 2013 show significant effects. The overall lack of effect of oil and gas development on child respiratory health from this study could be that the respiratory cases reported were as a result of factors other than air pollution from oil and gas activities.
Open Access
Evaluating the homogeneity of preferences across resident and nonresident elk hunters in Colorado
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2016) Hogan, Patrick J., author; Suter, Jordan, advisor; Loomis, John B., committee member; Manfredo, Michael, committee member
Competition between resident and nonresident elk hunters in Colorado vying for hunting permits has led to much debate about the equitability of the current allocation of permits between the two parties. This study evaluates whether or not resident and nonresident hunters have the same preferences for elk permits, evidenced by application rates. While many studies have examined the reasons why hunters choose this form of recreation, this study goes a step further in examining how these reasons might differ between residents and nonresidents. Because nonresident hunters have greater expenditures per recreation day, analyzing whether or not residents and nonresidents prefer the same hunts will allow for a better understanding of how Colorado Parks and Wildlife could reallocate permits in order to ensure a greater economic impact throughout Colorado. In order to allow for different levels of spatial correlation, two models are estimated with one model for resident applications and one with nonresident applications. Upon finding that there is spatial correlation of OLS residuals, spatial error models are fitted to the resident and nonresident models. With the coefficient estimates and standard errors from the spatial error models, Z-tests are calculated in order to determine if the independent variables have different effects on the respective dependent variables. While many of coefficient estimates calculated in this analysis are not significantly different for residents and nonresidents, illustrating that these two groups of hunters are alike in many ways, there are some differences present between resident and nonresident propensities to apply for specific hunts. Although further analysis would be necessary in order to disentangle the welfare effects of a reallocation of permits, this study does demonstrate that resident and nonresident hunters do not have equal preferences for specific hunt codes.
Open Access
Explaining participation In the Colorado Republican River And Nebraska Platte-Republican Resources Area Conservation Reserve enhancement programs
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2016) Monger, Randall Grant, author; Suter, Jordan, advisor; Manning, Dale, committee member; Schneekloth, Joel, committee member
Agricultural land retirement is increasingly used to conserve groundwater resources, reduce challenges associated with the conjunctive use of water resources, and meet streamflow compliance. This study explores the factors that influence the participation of agricultural producers in the Colorado Republican River and Nebraska Platte-Republican Resources Area Conservation Reserve Enhancement Programs (CREP). A better understanding of what leads agricultural producers to enroll in CREP could be used to inform program managers on how changing the incentives offered or expanding eligible area would impact enrollment and ultimately groundwater conservation. We develop a theoretical model of CREP participation using a random utility framework that contains the incentives offered for participation, measures approximating the opportunity costs of participation, and aquifer and soil characteristics. We then construct a dataset of participating wells and eligible non-participating wells and generate spatial measures of the explanatory variables. We empirically investigate participation using Probit models, which are estimated with data from the three basins aggregated and also each basin separately. The sign on many of our estimated significant coefficients varies across the three models. For the three participation models, we find that an increase in saturated thickness decreases the probability of participating in CREP.
Open Access
Optimizing brush pile disposal on western USFS land
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2024) Axlund, Caleb E., author; Suter, Jordan, advisor; McCollum, Daniel W., committee member; Bayham, Jude, committee member; Wei, Yu, committee member
This research evaluates the social costs of burning piled biomass and the economic trade-offs of alternative removal strategies. Timber harvesting and forest thinning often leave behind branches and other tree parts, which are piled and burned, resulting in what are known as brush or slash piles. These piles pose significant costs to nearby communities and have global environmental impacts, including greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and reduced local air quality (Wiedinmyer et al., 2006; Ganguly et al., 2018; Pierobon et al., 2022). The United States Forest Service (USFS) is testing a new device called the 'Charboss' that removes excess brush and repurposes it as biochar, a substance with potential environmental and agricultural benefits. Analyzing the external social costs of burning brush piles is crucial for assessing the economic viability of future brush removal strategies. By using social costs as a gauge, this study employs an optimization model to maximize benefits while minimizing the associated costs of this new forest management technology. Private investment and social planners' perspectives are considered when determining optimal deployment strategies. This study examines various scenarios for deploying the USFS device cost-effectively and concludes that, under certain assumptions, it can significantly benefit local communities and global environmental health.
Open Access
Optimizing the net benefits from pre-wildfire treatments to Colorado-Big Thompson Headwaters Partnership water recipients
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2014) Miller, John, author; Suter, Jordan, advisor; Frasier, Marshall, committee member; Warziniack, Travis, committee member; Coleman, Robert, committee member
To view the abstract, please see the full text of the document.
Open Access
The cost of consumption: an analysis of the heterogeneous impacts of groundwater availability in the High Plains aquifer
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2019) Moore, Lacey, author; Suter, Jordan, advisor; Goemans, Chris, committee member; Schipanski, Meagan, committee member
Nearly 20-percent of the wheat, corn, cotton and cattle produced in the United States are made possible by the hydrologic resources of the High Plains Aquifer (HPA) (NRCS, 2017). Despite being a source of agricultural prosperity, this aquifer has long been subject to overdraft including reductions in saturated thickness exceeding 50m in the southern extents (Haacker et al., 2016). We follow Hornbeck et al. (2014, 2015) in comparing economic outcomes among counties inside the HPA to similar counties within 100km from the aquifer boundary, building on this research by also evaluating the impact of initial groundwater endowments as an exogenous measure of irrigation access. Utilizing a hedonic pricing model based on Ricardian theory of land valuation, we choose to examine irrigation intensity, land values, and population density using census data at the county scale to measure the marginal benefit of groundwater. These economic outcomes are examined across ranked groupings of initial saturated thickness for three distinct time periods: approximate pre-development of the aquifer (1925-1945), during the height of irrigation expansion (1950-1992), and during contemporary time periods of irrigation water shortages (1997-2012). Results indicate that previous studies which have regarded the HPA as a homogeneous unit overlook the true marginal contributions of groundwater. We find that the counties with the largest initial endowments of groundwater in the HPA have increased land values by as much as 42-percent during the height of irrigation expansion, and more importantly have maintained the longest lasting economic benefits compared to counties with lower initial saturated thickness and those outside the aquifer. Our results differ from previous studies (i.e., Feng et al., 2012) as we find no statistical relationship between access to groundwater (or aquifer depletion) and population density.
Open Access
Unconventional oil and gas development and student performance on standardized tests
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2021) Koss, Gal, author; Suter, Jordan, advisor; Mannings, Dale, advisor; Zimmerle, Dan, committee member
This paper evaluates the impacts of unconventional oil and gas extraction on academic achievement. The preparation, drilling, and fracturing of oil and gas wells has been found to create air and noise pollution—which can have negative effects on cognitive performance. Analyzing public school standardized test scores in Colorado, we find that additional drilling activity within 3 km of schools before tests decreases the portion of students who meet statewide standards by 0.75 percentage points, implying 1,857 fewer students met expectations statewide over the analysis period or 1.28% of all students who failed to meet expectations at treated schools. These findings impact how we view the scope of externalities from oil and gas development and informs the ongoing policy debate about minimum distance requirements between new wells and schools.