1,154 research outputs found
EFFECTS OF ENERGY DEVELOPMENT ON AGRICULTURAL LAND VALUES
No full textThis paper uses multiple regression analysis to examine the effects of energy resource development on sale prices of agricultural land in western North Dakota. The findings suggest that energy resources development has exerted only modest upward pressure on agricultural land values in the northern Great Plains. The land market in this region remains dominated by active farmers who are purchasing farmland as a long-term investment, and energy development has not had a major impact on the structure of that market.Land Economics/Use, Resource /Energy Economics and Policy,
ECONOMIC PROFILE OF BILLINGS COUNTY
No full textPolicies affecting the use of public lands can have direct consequences for industries that rely on outputs from those lands. In recent years, environmental concerns have prompted a revisiting of the policies governing the use of those lands. Subsequently, alternative policies have been proposed that would move the management of some public lands away from the concepts of "multiple use" to those of limited access or wilderness designations, ultimately eliminating many consumptive uses on those lands. Thus, for industries and regional economies relying on public resources, it is necessary to (1) draw attention to the economic importance of those lands, (2) identify the potential consequences of changes in their management and use, and (3) develop plans and options for the future use of those resources. Billings County, in western North Dakota, is comprised of about 50 percent public land. Natural resource use plays a critical role in the county's economy. Public lands provide important inputs for local industries in Billings County, such as oil and natural gas production, livestock grazing, wildlife production, scenic attractions, and outdoor recreation. Energy and agriculture are the largest industries, accounting for 88 percent of all "new wealth" in the county. The remaining activity comes from tourism and federal activities. Overall, the size of the county's economic base has been decreasing, paralleling declines in the energy industry. The economic effect of potential changes in local industries was demonstrated by changing the level of economic base activities in key industries and using input/output analysis to show the subsequent secondary effects on the regional economy. From the information provided, Billings County can determine the economic consequences of changes in the use of the county's natural resources.public land use, economic base analysis, basic sector industries, North Dakota., Community/Rural/Urban Development, Land Economics/Use,
IMPEDIMENTS TO CONTROLLING LEAFY SPURGE IN THE NORTHERN GREAT PLAINS
No full textLeafy spurge is an invasive noxious weed, which by definition means it is inordinately difficult to control. The objective of this report is to present the results of focus group meetings and personal interviews with ranchers, local decision makers, and public land managers to discover strategies to improve leafy spurge management. Participants in the interviews and focus group meetings managed property in Fallon, Carter, and Wibaux Counties of Montana; Golden Valley, Bowman, Billings, and Slope Counties of North Dakota; Harding County of South Dakota; and Crook County of Wyoming. Ranchers and local decision makers believe that leafy spurge control must become more proactive rather than reactive; current strategies are largely reactive. Interviews with ranchers and local decision makers revealed that a considerable gap in understanding how to control leafy spurge exists between researchers and those attempting to combat the weed. Interviewers often mentioned that they have been unable to eradicate leafy spurge, which indicates that the current mind set of ranchers and land managers needs to change to one focusing more on controlling and managing leafy spurge rather than eradication. Specific recommendations would include 1) reducing the current levels of herbicide application rates - which are often two to three times higher than rates recommended by weed scientists, 2) must appreciate that herbicides are but one tool in the battle against leafy spurge, 3) must understand that in many cases eradication of leafy spurge will not be possible - the goal should be trying to control it, and 4) rangeland rental rates need to reflect current levels of weed infestations. Records of weed infestations (e.g., acreage, location, rate of spread, attempts at control) on public lands are woefully inadequate. Cooperation between ranchers, county weed boards, and public land agencies could be improved to enhance the effectiveness of existing control programs. Weed control regardless of land ownership is important for ranchers, absentee landowners, and public agencies to effectively control leafy spurge. In general, ranchers and land managers need to generate a broader base of support for control of leafy spurge, since the weed attacks the entire ecosystem and is not just an agricultural problem.leafy spurge management, ranchers, county weed boards, public land managers, policy makers, Farm Management, Production Economics,
Water Quality in the Trinity River Basin, Texas, 1992-95
No full textLand, Larry F., Moring, J. Bruce, Van Metre, Peter C. and Ulery, Randy L., 1998, Water Quality in the Trinity River Basin, Texas, 1992-95, Denver Co: U.S. Geological Survey Circular 1171, 44 p
PERCEPTIONS OF LEAFY SPURGE AND EVALUATION OF THE TEAM LEAFY SPURGE PROJECT, BY PUBLIC LAND MANAGERS, LOCAL DECISION MAKERS, AND RANCH OPERATORS
No full textLeafy spurge is an exotic, noxious, perennial weed which is widely established in the north central United States and is an especially serious problem in the northern Great Plains (Bangsund et al. 1999). In 1997, the Agriculture Research Service and Animal Plant Health Inspection Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, initiated a major Integrated Pest Management (IPM) research and demonstration project to develop and demonstrate ecologically based IPM strategies that can produce effective, affordable leafy spurge control. In 1998 and 1999, a survey of ranchers and public land managers was conducted to evaluate managerial, institutional, and social factors that might affect the rate and extent of implementation of various control strategies. In 2001, a second survey of the same ranchers and public land managers was conducted to (1) assess any changes in land managers' perceptions of weed problems, control alternatives, and related issues, and (2) evaluate the impact of the TEAM Leafy Spurge project on the respondent's weed control practices. The impacts of noxious weeds on grazing operations, specifically leafy spurge, are not abating, and ranchers seem more aware than ever of the severity of the problem. A slightly larger percentage of respondents in 2001 view leafy spurge as a major problem and the most serious problem for grazing operations than in 1998 and 1999. Heightened awareness among landowners may also be linked to TEAM Leafy Spurge's efforts to inform landowners of the problem and offer affordable, effective weed management techniques. While the use of biological control methods, specifically flea beetles, has grown, herbicides continue to be the control practice of choice. While slightly fewer respondents reported using herbicides in 2001 than in 1998 and 1999, the vast majority of landowners plan to continue to use herbicides. Over 50 percent of respondents are using biological control, and over 76 percent of respondents indicated flea beetles were either somewhat or very effective in controlling leafy spurge. Nearly half of the respondents had heard of TEAM Leafy Spurge, and all TEAM Leafy Spurge demonstration sites, events, and publications were favorably rated. A large majority of the respondents agreed that the program had been effective in demonstrating and communicating leafy spurge treatment and control options. Based on the results of the 2001 survey, it would appear that the program has indeed made progress in communicating the type of information landowners need to address what continues to be a significant issue for grazing operations in the Midwest.leafy spurge, noxious weeds, weed management, rancher opinion, Land Economics/Use,
DEVELOPING THE NATURE-BASED TOURISM SECTOR IN SOUTHWESTERN NORTH DAKOTA
No full textThe purpose of this study was to: 1) identify opportunities for expanding the tourism sector in southwestern North Dakota, 2) identify challenges and obstacles facing the area's tourism businesses, and 3) frame key issues and outline potential options for area decision makers (the primary clientele for the study). The findings reveal some basic characteristics of businesses in the region's tourism sector, identify some of the key constraints to expansion and development, and identify respondents' perceptions of opportunities for growth and expansion.nature-based tourism, agritourism, North Dakota, economic development, Community/Rural/Urban Development, Resource /Energy Economics and Policy,
RANCH OPERATORS' PERCEPTIONS OF LEAFY SPURGE MANAGEMENT AND EVALUATION OF THE TEAM LEAFY SPURGE PROJECT
No full textLeafy spurge is an exotic, noxious, perennial weed which is widely established in the north central United States and is an especially serious problem in the northern Great Plains (Bangsund et al. 1999). In 1997, the Agriculture Research Service and the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, initiated a major Integrated Pest Management (IPM) research and demonstration project to develop and demonstrate ecologically based IPM strategies that can produce effective, affordable leafy spurge control. In 1998 and 1999, a survey of ranchers and public land managers was conducted to evaluate managerial, institutional, and social factors that might affect the rate and extent of implementation of various control strategies. In 2001, a second survey of the same ranchers and public land managers was conducted to (1) assess any changes in land managers' perceptions of weed problems, control alternatives, and related issues, and (2) evaluate the impact of the TEAM Leafy Spurge project on the respondent's weed control practices. The impacts of noxious weeds on grazing operations, specifically leafy spurge, are not abating, and ranchers seem more aware than ever of the severity of the problem. A slightly larger percentage of respondents in 2001 view leafy spurge as a major problem and the most serious problem for grazing operations than in 1998 and 1999. Heightened awareness among landowners may also be linked to TEAM Leafy Spurge's efforts to inform landowners of the problem and offer affordable, effective weed management techniques. While the use of biological control methods, specifically flea beetles, has grown, herbicides continue to be the control practice of choice. While slightly fewer respondents reported using herbicides in 2001 than in 1998 and 1999, the vast majority of landowners plan to continue to use herbicides. Over 50 percent of respondents are using biological control and over 76 percent of respondents indicated flea beetles were either somewhat or very effective in controlling leafy spurge. Nearly half of the respondents had heard of TEAM Leafy Spurge, and all TEAM Leafy Spurge demonstration sites, events, and publications were favorably rated. A large majority of the respondents agreed that the program had been effective in demonstrating and communicating leafy spurge treatment and control options. Based on the results of the 2001 survey, it would appear that the program has indeed made progress in communicating the type of information landowners need to address what continues to be a significant issue for grazing operations in the Midwest.leafy spurge, noxious weeds, weed management, rancher opinion, Crop Production/Industries,
Land Prices and Business Fixed Investments in Japan
No full textJapan has seen episodes in which boom and bust in land prices is accompanied by boom and bust in business fixed investment. We develop a model that includes land in the production function. We show that in this model movements in land prices will be associated with movements of the capital stock in the same direction, provided the elasticity of substitution between land and capital is greater than one. We then estimate an aggregate investment function. Consistent with an elasticity greater than one, increases in land prices are associated with increases in the business capital stock even after controlling for movements in output and the cost of capital; decreases have a symmetric effect. In the end, however, we find that movements in land prices explain relatively little of the movement in the business fixed investment. In addition to possibly indicating that the elasticity is very near one, the small effect may result because of difficulty in extracting information from noisy land prices, neglect of the effects of regulations, and failure to consider credit constraints.
RURAL ECONOMIC EFFECTS OF THE CONSERVATION RESERVE PROGRAM IN NORTH DAKOTA
No full textThe Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), enacted in 1985, provides conservation benefits and agricultural supply control through voluntary, long-term retirement of crop land. Large-scale, long-term land retirement programs produce, in varying degrees, negative effects on those businesses and economic sectors that provide agricultural inputs and services. While the effects of the CRP on agriculture are well understood, economic assessments of the market-value of conservation benefits from the program accruing to rural economies remains largely undocumented. One of the conservation benefits of the program is wildlife habitat, which has bolstered upland bird, waterfowl, and big game populations. Growing wildlife populations have contributed to increased consumptive and non-consumptive wildlife-based recreation. This study addressed the net economic effects of decreased agricultural activity and increased recreational activity associated with the CRP in six rural areas of North Dakota from 1996 through 2000. The negative effects of the CRP on agricultural revenues were based on the level of economic activity that would have occurred in the absence of the program. The net change in revenues from CRP land returning to agricultural production in the six study areas was estimated at 56 per CRP-acre. However, returning CRP lands to agricultural production was estimated to lower commodity prices and reduce agricultural revenues on non-CRP lands by 50.2 million annually or 12.8 million or $9.45 per CRP-acre. Overall, recreational revenues averaged 26 percent of the agricultural losses. The degree to which CRP-based hunting revenues in rural areas offset agricultural losses varied throughout the state. In several cases, hunting expenditures offset a substantial portion of the agricultural losses, while in other areas, the net economic loss from the program remains high. The net economic effects of the program in western and central North Dakota were the most favorable, whereas the effects were least favorable in eastern areas of the state. In North Dakota, the net economic effect of losses in agricultural revenues and gains in hunting-based recreational expenditures indicated that several areas of the state are not as economically burdened by the CRP as previous research has suggested.Conservation Reserve Program, Economic Impacts, Rural Economies, Land Economics/Use,
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