Factoring Climate Change Into Recreation Investment Decisions: Evidence From Hatchers Pass, Alaska

Presenter Information

Logan Blair

Document Type

Oral Presentation

Campus where you would like to present

SURC Ballroom B/C/D

Start Date

21-5-2015

End Date

21-5-2015

Keywords

Remote Sensing, Natural Resource Management, Economics

Abstract

Winter sports infrastructure brings general welfare to communities as well as potential economic growth. However, it is known that average snow cover in northern hemispheres has reduced by 10 percent since the mid-1960s (Folland, 2001). Employing Landsat data and remote sensing techniques such as the normalized difference snow index (NDSI), this research examines snow cover change in Hatchers Pass, Alaska, over a 28-year period. Results reveal that snow cover has dropped as much as 47 percent between 1986 and 2014 suggesting that, in addition to traditional cost benefit analysis, site specific environmental change studies should be considered when evaluating winter recreation investment.

Poster Number

40

Faculty Mentor(s)

Jennifer Lipton

Department/Program

Resource Management

Additional Mentoring Department

Geography

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May 21st, 11:30 AM May 21st, 2:00 PM

Factoring Climate Change Into Recreation Investment Decisions: Evidence From Hatchers Pass, Alaska

SURC Ballroom B/C/D

Winter sports infrastructure brings general welfare to communities as well as potential economic growth. However, it is known that average snow cover in northern hemispheres has reduced by 10 percent since the mid-1960s (Folland, 2001). Employing Landsat data and remote sensing techniques such as the normalized difference snow index (NDSI), this research examines snow cover change in Hatchers Pass, Alaska, over a 28-year period. Results reveal that snow cover has dropped as much as 47 percent between 1986 and 2014 suggesting that, in addition to traditional cost benefit analysis, site specific environmental change studies should be considered when evaluating winter recreation investment.