Using data from an online survey of grocery store customers in Logan, Utah, we estimate willingness to pay (WTP) for continued use of plastic grocery bags, and willingness to accept (WTA) for switching to reusable grocery bags. We find evidence to suggest that, on average, individuals have a greater aversion to plastic-bag taxes than an affinity for reusable-bag subsidies. All else equal, older and lower-to-middle-income individuals, as well as larger-sized households, are more likely to switch to using reusable bags exclusively when faced with a tax on plastic bags. Lower-to-middleincome individuals, as well as women in general, are more likely to switch away from using plastic bags when provided with a subsidy for reusable bags. Our results help quantify the extent to which plastic-bag taxation and reusable-bag subsidisation might induce shoppers to switch from plastic to reusable bags for their grocery trips.

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In this paper, I analyze the cost for 72 United States Forest Service National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) timber projects over the period 2006-2016. Project costs exhibit economies of scale, over project size. That is, a proportional increase in project acres may result in a proportional increase in cost savings for NEPA projects. Moreover, projects with biota that are recognized by the Endangered Species Act (ESA) add to the complexity of projects, requiring more intensive analysis, which has direct cost effects. The results suggest that all equal projects that contain an ESA species are 51% greater in project cost. As a result, the presence of an ESA animal likely presents a disincentive for prospective projects to be undertaken by NEPA planners. The implication is that the cost of NEPA ESA analysis may not be a prudent budgetary undertaking, when comparing acreage to an area without an ESA, for project planning.