Valuing the Upper Floridan Aquifer: Exploring public preferences for ecosystem service values and problem framing to support aquifer conservation

The Upper Floridan Aquifer (UFA) provides critical water resources and ecosystem services across Florida and Georgia but faces mounting threats from over-extraction, pollution, and climate variability. To address these challenges, this study assesses public willingness to pay (WTP) for a hypothetical Best Management Practices (BMP) incentive program designed to conserve the UFA by improving water quality, ecosystem health, and water availability for future generations. Using a discrete choice experiment (DCE) and latent class analysis, we measure preferences for key ecosystem services and explore the influence of socio-demographic characteristics and moral framing (fairness and loyalty) on WTP. Results indicate strong public support for human-centered benefits of the BMP program, particularly positive economic impacts for producers and water quantity improvements, with mean WTP values of $129.65 and $104.75, respectively. Latent class analysis reveals three distinct preference groups, highlighting the importance of tailored policy communication strategies to address cost sensitivity, ecological priorities, and socio-demographic variations. Moral framing significantly increased engagement, with fairness and loyalty frames reducing opt-out rates, but reduced the WTP for all program attributes. These findings provide critical insights for policymakers and water managers to design socially supported BMP programs that cater to the appropriate audiences.