Earth Economics is honored to present our digital 2021 Annual Report. In it you’ll hear from our Executive Director, Board Chair, and staff about the exciting work we’ve been up to in 2021 and how we are changing the conversation around nature, industry, and people.
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.
Earth Economics Presents at 37th Annual Meeting of the Pacific Salmon Commission
Today, Executive Director Maya Kocian joins the 37th Annual Meeting of the Pacific Salmon Commission (PSC) to present on the findings of Earth Economics’ multi-year study, The Sociocultural Significance of Pacific Salmon for Tribes and First Nations. Maya will reflect on insights shared by participants from the PSC Tribal and First Nations Caucuses from across the Pacific Salmon regions. Pacific salmon are a cultural and ecological keystone species, irreplaceable and core to the identities and ways of life of indigenous peoples throughout the Pacific Northwest. This report will provide a foundational touchstone for understanding the relationships between Pacific salmon and Indigenous societies that can inform future funding and decision-making processes, particularly the Pacific Salmon Treaty.
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The costs of natural disasters continue to rise. Even as FEMA provides community recovery assistance, it also spends billions each year on hazard mitigation projects. One key mitigation tool is FEMA’s support of nature-based solutions (NBS) that reduce the risks from flooding, wildfire, or drought. Earth Economics has supported FEMA as it has made NBS a key component of its hazard mitigation strategy through policy and technical assistance to communities.
We are proud to announce our partnership with World Relief Seattle on their Paradise Parking Plots Community Garden project in Kent, Washington. Designed to “improve food access, build community, and foster economic independence” among immigrant and refugee communities, the community gardens also boast green infrastructure features that support ecosystem services.
Partnering to Support Sustainable Agriculture in Indian Country Through Impact Investments
Native American and other BIPOC farmers and ranchers have faced a long history of discrimination that, among other impacts, has limited their access to financial capital. Often, these producers are also offered higher interest rates on loans in conjunction with shorter repayment timelines, fueling crippling debt cycles. Community Development Finance Institutions (CDFIs) have sought to address these inequities by providing access to capital and financial literacy training. These institutions function like traditional banks but support underserved populations through a non-profit model. Earth Economics is honored to partner with Akiptan, a Dakotas-based CDFI serving Native American producers across Indian Country, to promote producer prosperity, food sovereignty, and self-reliance.
Earth Economics’ partnership with Akiptan supplements the development of their Strategic Plan, facilitated by Sweet Grass Consulting, with an Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) framework to track key impact metrics. With this data, Akiptan can attract impact investment funding to diversify their financial sources in support of Native American producers. Earth Economics will also conduct an ecosystem services valuation (ESV) of sustainable agricultural practices in Akiptan’s portfolio to illustrate for prospective investors the value of environmental public benefits.
We look forward to building on our previous work with agricultural impact investment firms (like Agriculture Capital and Farmland LP). This partnership marks our first venture into work with CDFIs and developing impact metrics in the ESG investment realm. We are excited to leverage our 20+ year history of quantifying ecosystem services values to expand ESG considerations, which historically have focused mainly on carbon dynamics. Our work will add a more holistic perspective of environmental values as public benefits. We look forward to expanding support for the communities Akiptan serves as well as developing future collaborations with additional CDFIs.
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Advancing Nature-Based Solutions For Wildfire Mitigation Efforts
Wildfire season is once again upon us all. Though relatively few have been forced to deal with the trauma of evacuating homes and communities this season, distant wildfires still bring a smoky haze—and diminished air quality—to communities worldwide.
Earth Economics has continued partnerships with local, state, and federal authorities to advance nature-based approaches to mitigating wildfire impacts on people and property while enhancing other ecosystem services that benefit communities. A few recent and notable examples include the following:
Paradise, California
Paradise, California is rebuilding after their town was devastated by the 2018 Camp Fire. The community hopes to acquire and build a greenbelt around the town to serve as a fuel break, slowing the speed and intensity of encroaching fires, and improving access for firefighters to reduce future wildfire risk. The greenbelt will expand park space near the community while improving air quality and aesthetic value, and expanding wildlife habitat and recreational opportunities. In December 2020, with support from The Nature Conservancy, Earth Economics helped the Paradise Recreation and Parks Department secure a Capability and Capacity Building Grant for the 2020 FEMA BRIC funding cycle. This grant provides the financial resources to support landowners engagement, park design and engineering, appraisal costs, and preparation of a larger FEMA BRIC grant application in coming years.
Sonoma County, California
Sonoma County has experienced several large, devastating wildfires in recent years, including the 2017 Sonoma Complex, 2019 Kincade, and 2020’s LNU Lightning Complex Walbridge and Meyers Fires. These fires led to the loss of dozens of lives and thousands of structures. In December 2020, Earth Economics worked alongside Permit Sonoma, Tetra Tech, Tukman Geospatial, and The Nature Conservancy of California to conduct a benefit-cost analysis and secure $37 million in FEMA wildfire mitigation funding through the 2020 BRIC program. The project was highlighted by President Biden as an example of innovative wildfire mitigation. The grant will support wildfire planning and wildfire mitigation activities, including hardening structures and critical facilities, fuels management, and establishing defensible spaces, such as natural community buffers. The project is among the first of its kind in the country, and is likely the largest nature-based solution for wildfire mitigation ever proposed.
Oregon State
Western states are struggling to plan for—and pay for—future fire seasons. Oregon has one of the most complex fire funding systems in the country, requiring stakeholders in government, industry, and the broader public to contribute financial and other resources to the prevention, preparation, and response to wildfires. To better understand that system, the Oregon State Legislature asked Earth Economics to document how fire preparedness and suppression are supported on lands protected by the Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF). Earth Economics identified the costs borne by the state’s General Fund and both public and private landowners, and the structure and flows within the State’s fire funding system, including the specific activities supported by each financing source. The project team worked closely with ODF to ensure a comprehensive and accurate representation of the system as it exists today—reviewing and validating data, conducting stakeholder interviews, and engaging a Technical Advisory Group representing diverse perspectives and expertise. The report was presented to the legislature’s Joint Committee on Ways and Means. Oregon’s fire management stakeholders now have a clear understanding of fire costs and funders over the past decade—a crucial first step to effective fire management planning.
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Coming Soon! Report Release - the Sociocultural Significance of Salmon for Tribes and First Nations
Earth Economics is pleased to announce the upcoming release of our report on the Sociocultural Significance of Salmon for Tribes and First Nations. The report will be available for download next week on both the Pacific Salmon Commission (PSC) and Earth Economics’ websites.
The 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 with the objectives to:
Provide a foundation to the PSC to understand relationships between Pacific salmon and Indigenous societies.
Raise awareness among Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities about the significance of Pacific salmon harvests and the importance of Pacific salmon conservation.
Provide information to support future funding and decision-making through the Pacific Salmon Treaty between the U.S. and Canada.
The study focuses on insights shared by 31 participants from the PSC Tribal and First Nations Caucuses from four different PSC Panels from across the Pacific Salmon region, organizing responses into a framework of five intersecting areas: social cohesion, health of humans and ecosystems, livelihoods, Indigenous management systems, and cultural knowledge and practices. As the study demonstrates, Pacific salmon are a cultural and ecological keystone species, irreplaceable and core to the identities and ways of life of indigenous communities throughout the Pacific Northwest.
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