The Conservation Biology Alternative for Grizzly Bear Population Restoration
in the Greater Salmon-Selway Region Central Idaho and Western Montana

APPENDIX A

Economic Analysis of the Conservation Biology Alternative for Grizzly Bear Restoration in the Greater Salmon-Selway Ecosystem of Central Idaho and Western Montana

by Michael Garrity Research Fellow Economics Department University of Utah

Executive Summary

The Conservation Biology Alternative for Grizzly Bear Restoration in the Greater Salmon-Selway region results in a net savings to taxpayers and is the most cost-effective way of restoring grizzly bears to central Idaho. The total net savings over the ten-year period of 1997 - 2006 is approximately $69 million. Besides restoring grizzly bears and saving the taxpayers money, the Conservation Biology Alternative creates more than 1500 high paying jobs for the region.

The Conservation Biology Alternative results in a net savings to taxpayers by prohibiting roadbuilding and logging in the roadless areas located within the proposed grizzly bear recovery area outlined by this alternative. Using figures developed by the General Accounting Office (GAO 1995) and retired Congressional Budget Office forest analyst Robert Wolf (1995), logging the roadless areas at levels outlined by the U.S. Forest Service in the Long Range Management Plans (LRMPs) would result in a net loss to U.S. taxpayers of approximately $137 million over the ten-year period of 1997 - 2006. This figure does not include the millions of dollars of damage caused by the tons of sedimentation going into the rivers and streams that these activities would produce. The other two action alternatives for grizzly bear reintroduction analyzed in the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service EIS, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service proposal and the ROOTS proposal, both cite the LRMPs as the basis for habitat management within the grizzly bear recovery area. These alternatives result in a net loss to taxpayers since they allow below cost, roadless area, subsidized logging at current Forest Service projections.

The Conservation Biology Alternative results in more jobs because of the habitat restoration work associated with the three wildland restoration areas. The costs of this work over the ten year period 1997 - 2006 are approximately $67 million. Since the total savings associated with this alternative are much greater than the total costs, the net savings equals approximately $69 million. Thus the Conservation Biology Alternative saves taxpayers millions of dollars, has a net increase of over 1200 jobs, provides maximum protection for grizzly bear and other endangered species habitat, shortens the total time frame for grizzly bear restoration to central Idaho and improves the economic viability of Idaho and western Montana.

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