Award Date

12-2001

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Department

Environmental Science

Advisor 1

Dr. Helen Neill, Examination Committee Chair, Associate Professor of Environmental Studies University of Nevada Las Vegas

Number of Pages

68

Abstract

Public lands designated as part of the National Wilderness Preservation System are removed from multiple-use management for protection of their natural condition. Opponents argue that "locking up" the natural resources on these lands through designation will undermine the rural economies in the west that are dependent upon extractive industries such as mining and logging. Proponents argue that the "Old West" reliance on extractive industries is declining and, in the "New West", wilderness promotes economic development in rural communities by preserving the amenity values that draw population and employment to the region. Characteristics of Nevada's economy, population and land challenge the ideas of the New West. This thesis examines the economic impact of wilderness on rural counties in Nevada. These potential impacts are studied utilizing a simultaneous-equations model, based on Duffy- Deno (1998), to test for determinants of population and employment growth for the period from 1990 to 2000.

Keywords

Natural resources economic aspects; Nevada; Rural development economic aspects; Wilderness areas economic aspects

Disciplines

Environmental Sciences | Growth and Development | Natural Resource Economics | Natural Resources Management and Policy

File Format

pdf

Degree Grantor

University of Nevada, Las Vegas

Language

English

Rights

IN COPYRIGHT. For more information about this rights statement, please visit http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

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