Estimating nonuse values using conjoint analysis

Conjoint analysis is a stated-preference technique for eliciting valuations of nonmarket, multi-attribute commodities. Recently it has begun to be used in environmental economics as an alternative to contingent valuation. In applications to environmental economics, though, conjoint analysis has been used to estimate use values or total values—the sum of use and nonuse values. We show a simple way to estimate the value of a resource to those who should have only nonuse values and illustrate using two surveys about national parks in Maine.