Water quality improvements elicit consistent willingness-to-pay for the enhancement of forested watershed ecosystem services

The aim of this study is to improve understanding of willingness-to-pay (WTP) for the enhancement of selected ecosystem services from forested watersheds. Results from a nationwide survey of over 1000 U.S. households showed limited knowledge of payment for ecosystem service (PES) programs and antagonistic opinions regarding initial WTP for watershed conservation and corresponding PES financial charges. Water quality dominated importance among selected PES attributes used in a discrete-choice experiment followed by provisioning of habitat for threatened plant and animal species, flood control, and landscape aesthetics. Econometric analyses elucidated that environmental attitudes significantly influenced WTP results even more than annual household income. Results show WTP levels for improvements in water quality were homogeneous across the nation but heterogeneous for the enhancement of habitat, landscape and flood control. Findings support the establishment of PES initiatives that enhance forested watersheds conditions across the U.S. primarily driven by improvements in water quality. PES programs should be tailored locally to emphasize the provisioning of other ecosystem services such as habitat for threatened species and flood control.