Valuation of Lynx Critical Habitat Designations

Under the Endangered Species Act (ESA), the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service must determine the economic impacts of designating critical habitat for the recovery a listed species. To date, impact studies have been inconsistent and have accented the costs of habitat designation. Defenders of Wildlife’s Conservation and Economics Program has developed a state-of-the-art method for identifying and estimating all economic impacts, including benefits, of designating critical habitat. The Canada lynx serves as a case study with research focused in representative areas of Montana, Minnesota, and Maine. The conceptual framework and methods developed will be applicable to all species and locations.

Read Defenders of Wildlife’s 2004 report, Economic Impact Assessment of Designating Critical Habitat for the Lynx (Lynx canadensis)