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Abstract
The economic impact of wildlife-associated recreation in the Southeast United States was evaluated
using a general equilibrium model. Exogenous demand shocks to the regional economy
were based on estimates of expenditures by wildlife recreationists on hunting, fishing, and wildlife
watching activities. Counterfactual simulations were carried out, making alternative assumptions
about labor and capital mobility and their supply. Without wildlife-associated recreation expenditures,
regional employment would have been smaller by up to 783 thousand jobs, and value
added would have been $22 to $48 billion less. These findings underscore the significance of
regional factor market conditions in economic impact and general equilibrium analysis.