Decision-Support Modeling

For more than two-decades Resource Dimensions’ has been instrumental in developing numerous multi-criteria land use, urban growth boundary, conservation and integrated community sustainability models to aid policy-maker’s, resource agencies and land management organizations in making well-informed decisions. Diverse projects have been conducted across the U.S., in the UK, Canada, Belize, and several areas of Southeast Asia.

This wide-ranging experience serves all clients better through the exchange of specific information and experiences between communities geographically removed, yet experiencing similar issues and growing pains. Our projects focus on the complex relationships at the natural resource-environment-land use interface, and a multitude of social and economic sustainability issues cities and regions across the nation are currently dealing with in their efforts to better plan for future growth.

A few of our recent projects…

Integrated Land Conservation Decision-Support Model, Generation III
Resource Dimensions’ Dr. Gustanski evaluated a series of data obtained over a four-year program carried out in the U.S. and Britain to aid in the development of a multi-criteria land conservation decision-support model. The model extends earlier generations through the use of choice experiments and contingent valuation methods to derive value and rank attributes (at the landscape-scale) and ecological constraints in facilitating strategic regional land conservation decision-making. Dr. Gustanski led the Resource Dimensions team in model design, research strategy, development of focus group questionnaires and survey instruments and in conducting quantitative analysis, Ethnographic text-based analysis of transcripts derived from focus groups and in-person interviews, and econometric analysis. The ILCDS, series 3 multi-criteria decision-support model, as with its precursors, was developed on a GIS foundation to enable graphic presentation. The integral data component modules include 1) policy/regulatory, 2) local land use zoning, 3) local/regional economic information, and 4) social valuation.

ILCDS, Gen. III acknowledges the complex suite of factors that interact to impact individual behaviors at the local and regional level relative to land use and environmental decision-making. The project is a cooperative public-private joint venture funded by various state and federal agencies and non-profit organizations.

Washington State Grazing Program Cost-Benefit Analysis Model
The BCA model uses an accessible data base that allows the flexibility to examine up to five (5) policy scenarios simultaneously. Through interactive worksheets, the CBA model assists in the estimation of various costs associated with incremental changes in policy. The purpose of this tool is to provide a system that can be readily used to quantify various dimensions (e.g. social, environmental, community, etc.) as they relate to grazing lands policy alternatives. The model uses a constant weighting scheme and allows the user to modify in-put options based on assumptions being made.

The model derives a single number for each variable by weighting the elements using coefficients generated from the impact model. The cost-benefit calculator is linked to outputs from the impact model, which is linked to the representative ranch model. The model measures costs in different ways and generate estimates for: 1) net benefit/profit, 2) net present value (NPV) indicator, and 3) benefit-cost ratio relative to the status quo and alternative policy options.

Ecosystem Services - Water Rights Valuation Model
Resource Dimensions has been engaged for several years in the development of and integrated multi-attribute ecosystem services model for valuing water rights in Washington’s Walla Walla Basin and for future rights allocated from the main-stem of the Columbia River. These models seek to meld ecological economic valuation processes with current appraisal methods to capture ecological service values in developing pricing structures for water rights.

Urban Growth Area Decision Models
Resource Dimensions’ Dr. Gustanski has worked for over two-decades on the development of various land use decision-support tools. Over the course of several different projects the Resource Dimensions team of land use economists and planners have worked hand-in-hand with communities, counties and an array of diverse stakeholders to develop tools to aid in making sound land use zoning, conservation designation and urban growth boundary area decisions.

Such models are tailored to meet criteria of specific state prescribed regulations as well as county and geography specific criteria. Drs. Gustanski and Daniels have worked closely with several ranking models generally based on the Land Evaluation and Site Assessment (LESA) system developed by the USDA Soil Conservation Service (Natural Resources Conservation Service) in the early 1980s.

The range of decision-support models we have developed range form sophisticated GIS-based tools capable of generating image scenarios and economic impacts based on a select range of policy decisions, to multi-criteria integrated spreadsheet models, to more general ranking systems. Generally, decision-tools have been most widely used to develop rank priority for lands under consideration for inclusion inside an urban growth boundary (UGB), conservation designation, or for actual protection through PDR, TDR, and conservation easement programs.

Farmland Evaluation System (FES)
For the Bucks County Agricultural Land Preservation Program, Resource Dimensions’ Dr. Gustanski, developed the three-tiered land evaluation model and the agricultural preserves planning map to aid in the evaluation of land parcels for the County’s purchase of development rights (PDR) program. Per mandate of the Commonwealth’s enabling legislation (Act 149 of 1988) jointly funded state-county PDR programs are required to develop a ranking system for use in evaluating and ranking applicant lands for development right purchase, and must receive approval from the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, Bureau of Farmland Preservation prior to implementation by a county. The Bucks County Agricultural Land Preservation program, the 4th to be approved in the state, is now in its 17th year.