Nature’s Value in the Salish Sea | 2022
Earth Economics partnered with the Washington Department of Ecology and Puget Sound Partnership to produce a study that reveals the breadth and magnitude of the ecosystem services provided by the Salish Sea Basin’s lands and waters. The results—an estimated US $124 billion in ecosystem services every year— show significant benefits to restoring natural capital in the Salish Sea.
A second report focuses on value changes in landcover in Island County, Whidbey Basin, and contributing watersheds from 1992 to 2016. The ecosystems within this study area produced over $1.4 billion in non-market benefits each year.
For more detailed information about these reports and to view our interactive webmap, click the button below.
Nature’s Value in the Salish Sea
The lands and waters of the Salish Sea Basin support people’s livelihoods and well-being both directly and indirectly in a number of ways. Yet these ecosystems—and the benefits they provide—are threatened by pollution, development pressures, and unsustainable land management. The Salish Sea Basin provides an estimated US $124 billion in ecosystem services every year. Over a fifth of that value (22 percent) comes from water quality-related services, underscoring the need to protect both the Salish Sea and contributing inland watersheds.
Nature’s Value in Island County
To communicate the value of protecting and restoring Island County ecosystems, Earth Economics conducted an aquatic and landcover-based ecosystem services valuation (ESV) of the non-market value provided by ecosystems throughout the county, as well as other watersheds known to impact water quality within Water Resource Inventory Area 6, whose boundaries coincide with Island County. We further estimated how landcover and land use changes between 1992 and 2016 may have affected the value provided by nature.
© 2022 Earth Economics. All rights reserved.