Restoring natural habitats: economic impacts of the Big Muddy National Fish and Wildlife Refuge, Missouri USA

Economic benefits and costs of the proposed 60,000-acre Big Muddy National Fish and Wildlife Refuge are evaluated for three economic impact assessment scenarios, two cropland acreage amounts (maximum or minimum) and three acreage allocation options. Results show that the major cost of the Refuge is the economic losses associated with reduced crop production. Expected agricultural economic losses and land acquisition cost for the Refuge can be minimized by targeting land acquisitions to agricultural land that is already enrolled in the Wetland Reserve Program and not protected by levees. If land is acquired in levee-protected areas, land acquisitions should be targeted to areas enrolled in the Wetland Reserve Program or Emergency Wetland Reserve Program.