RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Stranded: The Effects of Inaccessible Public Land on Local Economies in the American West
JF Land Economics
FD University of Wisconsin Press
SP 421
OP 442
DO 10.3368/le.100.3.041321-0038R
VO 100
IS 3
A1 Leonard, Bryan
A1 Plantinga, Andrew J.
YR 2024
UL http://le.uwpress.org/content/100/3/421.abstract
AB Historical land-disposal policies created a mosaic of land ownership that can limit access to public land. We quantify the amount of “stranded” inaccessible public land in 400 counties across the western United States. We estimate the effects of public land on county land rents and wages and diagnose the extent to which selection into public versus private land may affect these estimates. Our results show that accessibility is crucial to understanding the effect of public land on local economies: on net, inaccessible public land is a disamenity to consumers that may raise or lower costs for firms, while accessible public land is an amenity to consumers that may be productive for firms.