Place of Residence and Cost Attribute Non-Attendance in a Stated Preference Choice Experiment Involving a Marine Endangered Species

Spatial variation of economic benefits associated with endangered species based on place of residence may be important to understand given conservation actions often place an unequal burden on rural and non-rural areas. In this article, place of residence differences are examined using split-sample stated preference choice experiment survey data from a study involving public preferences for protecting an endangered species, the Cook Inlet beluga whale. Standard mixed logit models provide evidence of a difference in estimated preference functions and willingness to pay (WTP) between households from rural and non-rural areas. However, when cost attribute non-attendance is accounted for, both rural and non-rural WTP estimates are scaled downward and differences in WTP dissipate.