Document Type
Thesis
Date of Degree Completion
Spring 2017
Degree Name
Master of Science (MS)
Department
Cultural and Environmental Resource Management
Committee Chair
Toni Sipic
Second Committee Member
Charles Wassell, Jr.
Third Committee Member
Robert J. Hickey
Abstract
The combination of increasing cougar populations and the rising human population in Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI) areas suggests that the number of human-cougar encounters will rise as well. The increase in human-cougar encounters creates potential issues in regard to public safety, public policy, and management of predators. For the purposes of this research, I employ a housing dataset for eleven counties in western Washington in order to quantify the impacts of a confirmed cougar sighting on the sale value of a home. Specifically, I employ the hedonic real estate price model. Results show statistically significant impacts on housing values in the presence of a cougar sighting. These results suggest the need for changes in policy regarding management of cougars, as well as land use management.
Recommended Citation
Stoothoff, Todd, "The Economic Impacts of Cougars in Western Washington" (2017). All Master's Theses. 687.
https://digitalcommons.cwu.edu/etd/687
Language
English
Included in
Animal Studies Commons, Econometrics Commons, Environmental Studies Commons, Geographic Information Sciences Commons