Surfrider Foundation: MAKING WAVES, 4/98, A Day on the Beach article


What's a day at the beach worth?	Whats a Day at the Beach Worth?? by Mark Cousineau, Surfrider Environmental Issues Team (EIT) Member MAKING WAVES, April 1998

The title of this paper is an almost ridiculous question to debate. How would one put an economic value to such a spiritual and soulful experinece. Or, more importantly, why would someone want to ? Well folks, people do! There is an emerging trend to try to protect natural resources by tying economic values to them. Efforts at both the state and national level to translate our national treasures to economic terms is underway. One of the dangers in this effort is how the valuation process works and what the resulting calculation is used for. Examples include a value for a beach or waterway that is affordable and less expensive than the cost to prevent a spill. On the other hand, could a beach valuation effort lead to an entry fee at those beaches where access is not yet a guaranteed right ? The topic is scary to consider but what may be more scary is that it is going on right now with minimal input from the environmental and ocean using community.
    Under the Federal Superfund law, people who cause the release of hazardous substances are liable to pay for the cleanup of the mess they make. You hear time and time again that the Superfund program is spending billions of dollars to accomplish very little benefit, which is probably true. A sleaper provision of the law relates to damages to natural resources. Under Superfund, those responsible for releasing hazardous substances are liable to pay for the cleanup but are also liable for the damage they cause to natural resources. This later section has always been in Superfund but only recently has it begun to be used. While procedurally complicated, the Statute enables a resource trustee, like the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, to file suit for economic damages due to natural resource damages.
    Recently in California, a jury ordered the owners of a ship that spilled upwards of 400,000 gallons of oil in to the ocean to pay $18 million in damages. The spill occurred in Huntington Beach and resulted in the closing of the beach to the public. The trial was the first use of a legal approach whereby the State can collect damages because the public was not able to use the beach. The defense objected claiming it was doubtful that as many people could have used thebeach as the prosecution claimed. That probably depends if a swell was working the pier during that timeframe. The main issue thought was clearly decided: the beach has value. In this case, the prosecution received an award of $12.75 million for lost beach use of an estimated 618,000 people. this translates to about $20 bucks a day.
    Well, the social policy question is hanging there like a fat curve ball-how do you place a value on the resource? What is the value of a stream? or a coastline, or a day at the beach? Others will be forced to sit down and make that calculation. In conversations recently, one approach to value lost beach use was likened to going to the movies. Both are ways to spend time, usually for several hours in a recreational and pleasurable pursuit. As the calculations went, going to the movies (with popcorn) costs $8.50. Is golfing or skiing an alternative ? That could take the calculations from $40 to over $100 per day (Surfing Pebble Beach !).
    So, is a day at the beach worth $8.50 or not. People have had and will continue to make that calculation some day. Who are these people and will our voice and input be heard ?

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