Browsing by Author "Lantz, Van"

Now showing 1 - 12 of 12
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    An assessment of the fair market value of stumpage prices in New Brunswick
    (University of New Brunswick, 2004) Taylor, Joel; Lantz, Van
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    Climate Change Plans for Canada: a Full Cost-Benefit Framework for Evaluating Options at the Provincial Level
    Lantz, Van; Murrell, David
    This paper examines the provincial economic impacts from implementing the Kyoto Protocol in Canada under two policy options currently being considered by the federal government: the Broad-as-Practical and Reference-Package options. Using information from federal documents and academic literature, we find that the federal forecasts of undiscounted GDP losses to provincial economies represent misleading indicators of true economic impacts. We suggest that a more accurate provincial impact analysis of GHG policy options would be based on a net present value framework that incorporates discounted costs and ancillary benefits over the time-frame of the program. Once these elements are accounted for, we find that most provinces would benefit under both policy options, and would prefer the Reference-Package. Specifically, the Reference-Package option reduces provincial burdens of achieving Canada's Kyoto commitment, and may do so at virtually no net efficiency cost relative to the Broad-as-Practical option. These findings emphasize the importance of incorporating both market and non-market values into the policy-making arena.
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    Corporate structure, forest-dependence & community well-being
    (University of New Brunswick, 2006) Jarvis, Wade; Lantz, Van
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    Cost analysis for New Brunswick forest fire suppression
    (University of New Brunswick, 2004) Slaney, Greg; Lantz, Van
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    Economics of early intervention to suppress a potential spruce budworm outbreak in New Brunswick, Canada
    (University of New Brunswick, 2018) Lui, Eric Ye; Lantz, Van; MacLean, David
    Spruce budworm (Choristoneura fumiferana Clem.) (SBW) outbreak is the most prominent natural disturbance in eastern Canada. Recently, an early intervention strategy (EIS) has been developed against SBW outbreaks in New Brunswick (NB). In this study, a Spruce Budworm Decision Support System (SBW DSS) was coupled with a Computable General Equilibrium (CGE) model to assess the impacts of forest protection strategies in NB. The results demonstrated that a future SBW outbreak would reduce up to $35.31 billion of NB current value total domestic output. Regarding the efficacy of forest protection strategies, the EIS was predicted to be the most cost-effective and economically efficient. In contrast, if a future SBW outbreak exits, the EIS Fails & Reactive Strategy was anticipated to be more beneficial than the traditional Reactive Strategy. Overall, these results support the continued use of EIS as the most preferred strategy on economic grounds to protect against SBW outbreaks in NB. Abbreviations: SBW, spruce budworm; GDP, gross domestic production; Btk, Bacillus thuringiensis Kurstaki; NB, New Brunswick; EIS, early intervention strategy; SBW DSS, spruce budworm decision support system; GIS, geographic information system; BCA, benefit-cost analysis; CGE, computable general equilibrium; WS, white spruce; RS, red spruce; BS, black spruce; BF, balsam fir; CES, constant elasticity of substitution; CET, constant elasticity of transformation; WTP, willingness to pay; CVM, contingent valuation method; BCR, benefit-cost ratio; NPV, net present value.
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    Economics of Early Intervention to Suppress a Potential Spruce Budworm Outbreak in New Brunswick, Canada
    (University of New Brunswick, 2019) Liu, Eric Ye; Lantz, Van; MacLean, David
    Spruce budworm (Choristoneura fumiferana Clem.) (SBW) outbreak is the most prominent natural disturbance in eastern Canada. Recently, an early intervention strategy (EIS) has been developed against SBW outbreaks in New Brunswick (NB). In this study, a Spruce Budworm Decision Support System (SBW DSS) was coupled with a Computable General Equilibrium (CGE) model to assess the impacts of forest protection strategies in NB. The results demonstrated that a future SBW outbreak would reduce up to $35.31 billion of NB current value total domestic output. Regarding the efficacy of forest protection strategies, the EIS was predicted to be the most cost-effective and economically efficient. In contrast, if a future SBW outbreak exits, the EIS Fails & Reactive Strategy was anticipated to be more beneficial than the traditional Reactive Strategy. Overall, these results support the continued use of EIS as the most preferred strategy on economic grounds to protect against SBW outbreaks in NB.
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    Impacts of crop rotation and tillage practices on potato yield and revenue in northern New Brunswick, Canada
    (University of New Brunswick, 2015) Liu, Eric Ye; Lantz, Van; Olale, Edward
    This study investigated the effects of crop rotation and tillage practices on potato yield across nine farms and 72 fields in the Black Brook Watershed, northwestern New Brunswick, Canada, from 2006 to 2012. Specifically, a stochastic production function method was used to assess the manner in which five alternative crop rotations and three alternative tillage practices influenced mean, per acre, potato yields in each field along with other farm inputs, site characteristics, and climate factors. Overall, crop rotation and tillage practices had mixed effects on potato yield. For instance, with regard to crop rotations, a one potato in three year (l-in-3) rotation had the highest yield, followed by 2-in-3, 2-in-4, l-in-2 (the primary rotation system used by producers), and 3-in-4 rotations. On a comparable, 12-year horizon, a 2-in-3 rotation resulted in the largest present value revenue, followed by 3-in-4, 2-in-4, l-in-2, and l-in-3 rotations. Meanwhile, with regard to tillage practices, spring tillage had negative yield effects compared to fall tillage (the primary tillage practice), and the use of harrow and chisel plowing had positive yield effects. These findings indicate that the implementation of best management practices (e.g., spring tillage and l-in-3 rotations) often lead to lower yield and/or lower revenues and therefore need to be supported by governments through financial or other such incentives. Key words: Best management practices, conservation tillage, crop rotation, potato yield, Northwestern New Brunswick.
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    Potential impacts of government subsidized silviculture on private forest land in New Brunswick
    (University of New Brunswick, 2002) DeLong, Derreck A.; Lantz, Van
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    Socioeconomic analysis of spruce budworm and forest tent caterpillar outbreaks and control in New Brunswick and Saskatchewan
    (University of New Brunswick, 2012) Chang, Wei-Yew; Lantz, Van; MacLean, David
    Forest pest outbreaks can have severe impacts on ecosystem dynamics by causing extensive tree mortality and growth loss on forest land. The ecological impacts caused by forest pest outbreaks could have serious social and economic implications on regions that depend heavily on forests. The analysis conducted in this dissertation represents a comprehensive approach of assessing several fundamental social and economic issues related to spruce budworm (Choristoneura fumiferana; SBW) and forest tent caterpillar (Malacosoma disstria; FTC) management in the provinces of New Brunswick (NB) and Saskatchewan (SK). Contributions include: (i) conducting a large-scale, multi-regional, multi-pest analysis of public attitudes about SBW and FTC outbreaks and control options using a public opinion mail survey; (ii) estimating the potential social benefits of controlling future SBW and FTC outbreaks using the contingent valuation method; (iii) evaluating the economic efficiency and cost effectiveness of SBW control alternatives by incorporating results from a contingent valuation method and a biophysical impacts model (i.e., Spruce Budworm Decision Support System) into a benefit-cost analysis framework that considers both market and non-market values; and (iv) assessing long-term economic impacts of SBW outbreaks and control by coupling a biophysical impacts model with a recursive dynamic computable general equilibrium model. Important findings in this dissertation are as follows: (i) there is a high public support (at over 80%) of controlling future SBW and FTC outbreaks with biological control in NB and SK; (ii) controlling future SBW and FTC outbreaks could generate substantial social benefits in NB ($ ranging from $7.9-20.8 million per year) and SK (ranging from $11.7-32.4 million); (iii) the most cost-effective and economically efficient level of SBW control in NB is obtained by protecting 10-20% of the most susceptible forest areas; and (iv) a future SBW outbreak would have severe impacts on the NB economy (in the order of $3.3-4.7 billion in present-value output terms), however, the negative impacts could be significantly mitigated through forest pest management. The results of this dissertation have significantly enhanced understanding of fundamental socio-economic issues of SBW and FTC outbreaks and control and will help forest policy makers achieve more informed, publically acceptable, and economically efficient forest pest management strategies.
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    The trends in employment/harvest ratios for seven regions in Canada
    (University of New Brunswick, 2003) Kennedy, Michael; Lantz, Van
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    Viabilty of the Canadian pulp and paper industry
    (University of New Brunswick, 2007) Price, Louis John; Lantz, Van; Beckley, Tom