@article{Wachenheim:267904,
      recid = {267904},
      author = {Cheryl J. Wachenheim and John Devney},
      title = {Landowner Conservation Attitudes and Behaviors in the  Prairie Pothole Region},
      address = {2018-01-01},
      number = {1187-2018-651},
      series = {Agribusiness & Applied Economics No. 781},
      pages = {31},
      year = {2018},
      abstract = {Long-term and widespread wetlands conservation within  agricultural working lands remains tenable. There exists a  need to identify alternative options for incentivizing  wetland maintenance on private property. The objective of  this research is to facilitate development of viable  options by developing an understanding of how landowners  view conservation, including that specifically targeted  towards maintenance of wetlands, and what influences their  decision regarding conservation program participation.  Landowners in the five-state Prairie Pothole Region were  surveyed. Most landowners supported use of incentives for  wetlands conservation. Fewer supported the options of  incentivized regulation, easements, and regulation.  Landowners identified contract attributes including payment  level and guaranteed source of income as important in their  decision-making regarding conservation program  participation. Effect of program participation on soil  quality and erosion control were also considered important.  Other program attribute and external effect factors were of  moderate importance, and impact on neighboring properties  was not considered important. Revealed decision criteria  differed between groups defined by operation as including  livestock, residence as on-farm, gender, previous or  current participation in the Conservation Reserve Program,  and support of various policy options for wetlands  conservation.  Attitudinal questions revealed that  landowners in general agreed that they should be consulted  on wetlands programs, promoting healthy ecosystems is a  landowner’s responsibility, and landowners have the right  to decide land use, should be compensated for land use  choices that benefit the environment, including for  maintenance of wetlands, and should be able to farm  wetlands. They agreed that wetlands are important for  wildlife and their conservation is important, although  agreement that it is important to protect wetlands on  private and public lands and especially that small wetlands  benefit their operations tended toward neutral. Landowners  were neutral on whether current conservation programs are  effective and there should be regulations to control the  conversion of naturally-occurring wetlands on agricultural  land. Landowners with a CRP contract history were more  supportive of the role of and need to protect wetlands, and  had a lower level of agreement that decisions on land use  are their right and that landowners should be able to farm  their wetlands than those without. Members of general and  crop-specific farm organizations were more strongly in  agreement with landowners’ rights than non-members and less  supportive of the role of wetlands and the need and policy  tools to protect them. Members of Farmers Union and three  crop commodity organizations also more strongly agreed that  farmers should receive compensation when land use choices  benefit the environment than non-members. Alternatively,  conservation organization member agreement was higher than  that of non-members that small wetlands benefit their  operations, that it is important to protect wetlands, and  that conservation of wetlands is important, and was lower  for statements reflecting landowner rights.  },
      url = {http://ageconsearch.umn.edu/record/267904},
      doi = {https://doi.org/10.22004/ag.econ.267904},
}