Results
The questionnaire was sent to a random sample of 800 households in the Four Corners states of Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah (with the proportions based on the states’ relative populations). An additional 800 households were sampled from the rest of the U.S. The average willingness to pay was estimated to be $195 per household. When extrapolated to the general population, the value of preserving the habitat areas was determined to be far in excess of the costs.