A major part of the natural resource damages settlement received by the trustees for the Morris J. Berman oil spill incident was for the loss of public beach use and for diminished quality visits to the San Juan National Historic Site. This part of the settlement was based on the compensatory restoration needed to offset the lost uses. The trustees determined the restoration for the beach use and Historic Site use losses by estimating the dollar value of the lost services and then selecting the scale of restoration that has a cost equivalent to the lost value. The trustees assessed the value losses associated with the lost beach visits and the diminished value of visits to the Historic Site using a benefits transfer methodology. The trustees quantified the number of lost beach visits and the number of impacted Historic Site visits by using attendance information; they then quantified the value loss associated with each type of affected trip by applying a value per affected trip from an appropriate literature study. Value losses totaled $2.3 million and $1.5 million for the beach use and Historic Site use impacts, respectively. The funds obtained in the settlement for these losses will provide replacement resources and services to beach-goers and Historic Site visitors.

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Author notes

1 This article expresses the views of the authors and does not necessarily reflect the views of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Department of Treasury, the National Park Service, or the Department of Natural and Environmental Resources.