ABSTRACT:
A U.S. agricultural sector model is used to estimate the economic impacts of proposed environmental regulation on agricultural practices under the Coastal Zone Management Act. The proposed regulation would require enhanced erosion management on cropland in counties that substantially drain into the coastal drainage basins. On a national level, the analysis shows a decrease of $42 million in net returns to cropland in the Coastal Zone Drainage Basin as a result of the proposed policy. On a per hectare basis, the loss ranges from $37.60 for the most erodible land to $1.10 or less on lands with either low erosion potential or having crop production limited by wetness. This loss results from a net decrease in land farmed, substitution of lower profit crops, and use of higher cost erosion control methods. The impact does not fall proportionately on all farmers; the operators of the most erodible land bear most of the adjustment. At the same time, coastal zone soil erosion is lowered by 28% on average and the erosion rate on the most erodible land is reduced by over 80%.
Footnotes
Ching-Cheng Chang is Associate Research Scientist, Department of Agricultural Economics, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, Tel: (409)845-3153; Jay D. Atwood, Agricultural Economist., Strategic Planning and Policy Analysis Division, USDA Soil Conservation Service., 808 East Blackland Road, Temple, TX 76502, Tel: (817)770-6632; Klaus Alt, Agricultural Economist., Strategic Planning and Poliry Analysis Division, USDA Soil Conservation Service, Washington D.C. 20013, Tel: (202)690-3719; Bruce A. McCarl, Professor, Department of Agricultural Economics, Texas A&M University, College Station, Tx 77843, Tel: (407)845-1706.
- Copyright 1994 by the Soil and Water Conservation Society
This article requires a subscription to view the full text. If you have a subscription you may use the login form below to view the article. Access to this article can also be purchased.