The 2022 Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference was held as a virtual event this April 26-28th. This year, Earth Economics staff presented on two regional projects: Improving Salmon Access to Inland Habitat Can Also Reduce Risk to Human Safety and Property and Nature’s Value in the Salish Sea: The Ecosystem Services of the Salish Sea Basin.
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Ecosystem Services
The Columbia River Basin is a vast, abundant watershed and the foundation for communities, fish and wildlife, and economic activity. Earth Economics has just released a new report that demonstrates the immense value of the Columbia River Basin’s natural capital - $198 billion in value annually.
On April 26, 2017, President Trump signed an executive order requiring a governmental review of all national monument designations made since 1996. First up for review is Bears Ears National Monument -- over a million acres of mesas, canyons, shrublands, forests, and Native American archaeological sites in Southeastern Utah. We took a quick look at its natural capital value and found its worth to be over $1 billion in ecosystem services benefits.
In February, Earth Economics participated in the Melbourne Network Exchange, a three-day event hosted by the Rockefeller Foundation’s 100 Resilient Cities Program. Chief Resilience Officers from cities around the globe convened with Platform Partners to exchange practices and approaches for strengthening natural assets, especially urban biodiversity. As part of the partnership, we shared our approach to communicating nature's value in support of city resilience.
Agricultural lands are an essential part of our economy and quality of life, but they are increasingly pressured by population growth and accelerating urban development. Too often, farmland is divided and developed without a full understanding of the value lost. In Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, a 2015 Earth Economics study of the county's natural capital is helping guide ongoing discussions about how to manage the county’s farmlands.
A clean, abundant water supply is critical to health and well-being, but many water sources are threatened. In Eugene, Oregon, the Eugene Water and Electric Board is taking big steps to ensure future water quality with an innovative new approach to protecting riparian zones that is setting an important precedent for water utilities.
As worldwide temperatures soar and disasters intensify, urban planners and political leaders are spending more time trying to understand and build local resilience. The Rockefeller Foundation has emerged as a global leader in this effort with the 100 Resilient Cities initiative (100 RC). Under the 100RC program, Earth Economics worked with the City of El Paso to value its natural capital and ecosystem services.
In the remote waters of Alaska's Bering Sea, a tiny community wants to maintain its rich resources. St. George Island is home to about 80 residents - many of whom rely heavily on the island’s natural resources for cultural and subsistence purposes. To help the community plan resource protections, Earth Economics is conducting an economic assessment of St. George Island and its surrounding marine area.