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The Nation's decision makers require information on the value of good visual air quality in order to evalute the costs of air pollution control visà-vis the corresponding benefits of visibility protection. The objective of this paper is to report on an experimental study designed to measure the economic value of visibility in the national parklands of the Southwest. As a basis for the study, a survey directed at the preservation of visibility issue was conducted in the summer of 1980. Over 600 households in Denver, Los Angeles, Albuquerque, and Chicago participated. Average household willingness to pay in the form of higher electric utility bills for the preservation of the current" average" air quality and corresponding visibility in the Grand Canyon (as depicted in photograph displays) ranged from $3.72/month in Denver to $5.14/month in Los Angeles. These average bids increased to $6.61 and $9.64 per month per …