A Negative Binomial Discrete Choice Model of Forestry Recreation in Ireland

During the last decade, as the population of Ireland has become increasingly urbanised, there has been an increase in demand for outdoor recreational pursuits. Increased affluence, mobility and changing values have also brought new demands with respect to landscape, conservation, heritage and urban land use. This paper’s contribution to the understanding of outdoor recreational pursuits in Ireland is based on the estimation of the first urban forest recreation demand function. We use this empirical work to investigate the value of urban woodland space, in terms of public-good provision to local residents. Through the estimation of a travel cost model, the study derives the mean willingness to pay of the average outdoors enthusiast using two urban forest sites in Co. Galway, Ireland. The results indicate the high value of urban forestry in Ireland from a recreational amenity perspective.