
This years prize, which is the first, is awarded to Christopher C. Moore, Thomas P. Holmes and Kathleen P. Bell for their article " An attribute-based approach to contingent valuation of forest protection programs" Journal of Forest Economics 17 (2011): 35-52. One of the key questions in the study was what citizens prefer when it comes to ecologically valuable sites versus recreational sites (human-use). The study shows, interestingly, that people is willing to give "substantial support" to programs that protect ecological sites, despite that they are difficult for visitors to access. Christopher Moore is from the National Center for Environmental Economics, US Environmental Protection Agency, Thomas Holmes from the Southern Research Station, USDA Forest Service, and Kathleen Bell is from the School of Economics, University of Maine.
