Preference Heterogeneity in a Count Data Model of Demand for Off-Highway Vehicle Recreation

on public land is not new—motorcycles have been used off-road for nearly a century (Havlick 2002).1 However, the growth in popularity of OHV use is primarily due to the introduction of all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), which began gaining popularity after being introduced in 1983, and ATV riding has become one of the fastest growing outdoor recreation activities in the country.2 Between 1982 and 2001, OHV use increased by more than 100 percent, and by 2004 roughly 24 percent of people 16 years old and older (more than 50 million people) reported that they participated in OHV recreation (Cordell et al. 2005). The rapid growth in the use of OHVs suggests that substantial economic benefits are generated by OHV recreation. Between 1993 and 2003, the number of OHVs in the United States grew from less than 3 million vehicles to over 8 million Preference Heterogeneity in a Count Data Model of Demand for Off-Highway Vehicle Recreation