RT Journal Article SR Electronic T1 Accounting for Heterogeneity of Public Lands in Hedonic Property Models JF Land Economics JO Land Econ FD University of Wisconsin Press SP 444 OP 456 DO 10.3368/le.88.3.444 VO 88 IS 3 A1 Ham, Charlotte A1 Champ, Patricia A. A1 Loomis, John B. A1 Reich, Robin M. YR 2012 UL http://le.uwpress.org/content/88/3/444.abstract AB Open space lands, national forests in particular, are usually treated as homogeneous entities in hedonic price studies. Failure to account for the heterogeneous nature of public open spaces may result in inappropriate inferences about the benefits of proximate location to such lands. In this study the hedonic price method is used to estimate the marginal values for proximity to the Pike National Forest. The results indicate that specifying the forest as homogeneous overstates the benefits for homes within two miles relative to specifying the forest based on land use characteristics, because the significant negative effect from noise-intensive activities is omitted. (JEL H41, Q51)