Integrating Gis Data into a Choice Experiment of Preferences over Resource Use Alternative: a British Columbia Example

—A valley in the Selkirk mountains of British Columbia was used as the setting for a choice experiment to determine resource values and individual preferences over management alternatives. GIS and management models of wildlife, recreation and timber already existed from previous research and lent themselves readily to application within a choice modeling framework for valuation and utility analysis. Choice models are a subset of stated preference modeling which have historically been applied to consumer problems. They are now emerging as an alternative to the more conventional valuation approaches such as contingent valuation. This study applies these techniques directly to a specific resource setting and using the spatially referenced detail available through GIS, communicates a great deal of resource information to survey respondents for their evaluation in a choice experiment format. The results of the survey allow inferences on preferences, valuation, trade offs and opportunity costs to be drawn. These are all extremely useful results for resource managers and policymakers alike. This study can serve as an example for larger scale research of this type.