The Effectiveness of Local Conservation Ballots

Dylan Hogan, Eyal G. Frank, Josephine Gantois and Anouch Missirian ()
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Dylan Hogan: Columbia University [New York]
Eyal G. Frank: University of Chicago
Josephine Gantois: TSE-R - Toulouse School of Economics - UT Capitole - Université Toulouse Capitole - UT - Université de Toulouse - EHESS - École des hautes études en sciences sociales - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique - INRAE - Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement
Anouch Missirian: INRAE - Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement, TSE-R - Toulouse School of Economics - UT Capitole - Université Toulouse Capitole - UT - Université de Toulouse - EHESS - École des hautes études en sciences sociales - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique - INRAE - Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement

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Abstract: Global action to slow biodiversity loss is critically needed but comes at substantial cost. In this article, we assess the effectiveness of local ballot measures for land-based conservation projects in the United States as a way to increase bird abundance, a key conservation indicator. Using a citizen science dataset of bird observations, we employ an abundance model to estimate relative abundance conditional on observer effort and exploit a sharp discontinuity in land-based conservation funding at the vote threshold to estimate plausibly causal effects. We find that an approved ballot measure has modest but significant impacts that accrue over ten years.

Date: 2025
Note: View the original document on HAL open archive server: https://hal.science/hal-05100946v1
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Published in American Economic Review Papers and Proceedings, 2025, 115, pp.403-408. ⟨10.1257/pandp.20251073⟩

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:hal:journl:hal-05100946

DOI: 10.1257/pandp.20251073

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