Most contingent valuation studies in the literature utilized a pre-determined geographic market area for their sample
frame. In other words, they did not include variables that would measure the extent of the geographic areas over which to
aggregate willingness to pay. These studies implicitly assumed that the effects of geographic distance were moot; an
assumption that could have led to an understatement of the aggregate benefit values computed in these studies. The overall
goal of this study was to determine if distance affects willingness to pay for public goods with large non-use values. The
data used came from a contingent valuation study regarding the San Joaquin Valley, CA. Respondents were asked about
their willingness to pay (WTP) for three proposed programs designed to reduce various environmental problems in the
Valley. A logit model was used to examine the effects of geographic distance on respondents' willingness to pay for each of
the three programs. Results indicate that distance affected WTP for two of the three programs (wetlands habitat and wildlife,
and the wildlife contamination control programs). We calculate the underestimate in benefits if the geographic extent of the
public good market is arbitrarily limited to one political jurisdiction.