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so <br />40 <br />i <br />( ' 3.2 DATA COMPILATION AND ANALYSIS OF RECREATIONAL BENEFITS <br />An improved beach is a semi-public good and recreational benefits are <br />distributed to all users at a zero or near a zero price. Since no one pays, there is <br />no market test of the value users place on a daily visit to the beach and no direct <br />means of deriving a demand curve. <br />To determine the recreational benefits associated with the projects identified in <br />the BPP, two beach surveys were conducted to ascertain the characteristics of <br />beach users on Indian River County beaches. A summer survey was conducted <br />on various dates between August 13 and October 11, 1998. A winter survey <br />was conducted on various dates between March 26 and April 10, 1999. <br />The combined surveys interviewed 1,358 adults age 16 and older. In the survey <br />the interviewers sPIPCtP(i /11 nnn .rlul+ f- :..+...:,.... _ <br />- ---acted %•1 --. ..""IL — uncivl�ri IIUIII 8auh group of beach <br />users. Interviews were conducted from morning until late afternoon on four <br />areas of beach +11-lat will be re$eU_CU <br />. The reSUIIS Of the two SUfYeyS are <br />presented in the appendices <br />AVERAGE VALUE OF A DAY ON THE BEACH <br />Since the beaches of Indian River County are semi-public goods, distributed to <br />all users at zero or near a zero price, it is necessary to estimate users average <br />willingness to pay to use the beach. A key question asked of the beach user. 'If <br />you could put a dollar value on a day at the beach, whai would it be worth to <br />your The answer given is a estimate of the beach user's average valuation of <br />the beach. Some claimed that they would pay nothing for the use of the beat h <br />while others said they would pay "whatever was necessary." <br />9040 HSMPORTAWFTMOIMXMF <br />24 <br />