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2021
Vilicus Farms is a nationally recognized first generation, organic, dryland crop farm in Northern Hill County, Montana. The cropping systems here model a vision where organic practices are considered the norm, seeking to advance land stewardship practices at scale that promote healthy ecosystems. This case study looks at a few of the ecosystem services enhanced by activities on Vilicus Farms.
The Hood Canal Salmon Enhancement Group (HCSEG) spearheads conservation and habitat restoration efforts on the Big Quilcene River, using easements and land acquisition to permanently protect areas of the floodplain and restore the benefits that a more natural floodplain provides. The group commissioned Earth Economics to conduct an analysis of the economic benefits, both market and non-market, of two planned large-scale restoration projects that would reconnect the Big Quilcene River to its historic floodplain.
Two major industries are at the heart of the Lake Chelan Valley economy– agriculture and tourism. Tourism attracts over 2 million visitors annually, with visitors spending an estimated $417 million per year that supports about 5,000 jobs. The Valley’s five golf courses attract tourists from around the world, contributing to the larger tourism economy. The City of Chelan owns and operates the Lake Chelan Golf Course (LCGC), and commissioned Earth Economics to perform a study on the economic impact of this course to better understand its contribution to the regional economy.
Climate change is disrupting ecosystem services around the world. Recognizing the challenges that climate change poses to watersheds, the Water Utility Climate Alliance (WUCA) aims to enhance climate change research and improve water management decision-making to ensure that water utilities can respond effectively. To help utilities understand how climate change affects critical ecosystem services and how to adapt to predicted climate impacts on those ecosystems, Earth Economics worked with WUCA members to survey utility adaptation needs.
Salmon are at the heart of the culture and well-being of hundreds of Indigenous communities in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. Yet, declining Pacific salmon populations jeopardize the well-being of these Indigenous communities. The Pacific Salmon Commission (PSC) commissioned this study on the food, social, and ceremonial importance of Pacific salmon to Tribes and First Nations throughout the Pacific Salmon Treaty region.
Nationwide and across the globe, climate impacts pose increasing problems to communities and ecosystems. As community leaders and local governments work to address these impacts, nature-based solutions can provide cost-effective options that benefit both communities and wildlife. Earth Economics partnered with the National Audubon Society on three case studies involving restoration and protection of wetlands, barrier islands, and other ecosystems for hazard mitigation purposes. These three cases represent diverse communities and geographies across the nation - in Connecticut, North Carolina, and California.
Washington’s state parks provide ample benefits to local communities throughout Washington. This report estimates how park visitor spending supports jobs, wages, and taxes throughout Washington, and places a dollar value on the ecosystem services provided by state park lands. The findings of this report are based on 2019 data and provide a strong baseline to measure against as we emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic.
When local governments invest in their parks, they’re investing in more than just community spaces in which residents can exercise, picnic, and unwind. Those investments also support their economy. Our team worked with PROS Consulting, Inc. to provide an economic contribution analysis of the City of Memphis’s investments into their Parks and Neighborhoods Division.
In flood-prone areas of New Orleans, community-based organizations have been increasing stormwater retention capacity through a community-based approach focused on tree planting and green infrastructure installations. Earth Economics (EE) with the Greater Tremé Consortium, Healthy Community Services, and Upper 9th Ward analyzed the value of existing and planned green infrastructure installations to provide data-driven evidence for engagement with the City of New Orleans and prospective funders to increase installations of community-driven solutions. This technical report and fact sheet present the findings.
Earth Economics worked with Washington DNR and Deloitte Transactions and Business Analytics to include non-market ecosystem services benefits into DNR’s Trust Land Performance Assessment (TLPA), a comprehensive assessment of the value of trust lands. The results of our report demonstrate that maintaining state trust lands as working forests and agricultural lands creates value far beyond the revenue they generate.
