scaling up? ser 2013 presentation - eric nost

Scaling up? Difficulties in the prioritization, selection, and evaluation of restoration sites for Oregon's ecosystem services market

Eric Nost Ph.D. Student

Department of Geography University of Wisconsin-Madison

Half Mile Lane

Half Mile Lane

Half Mile Lane

Half Mile Lane

THPRD future trail site

Half Mile Lane

THPRD future trail site

Half Mile Lane

THPRD future trail site

Half Mile Lane

THPRD future trail site

Why HML matters

Assessment of ecological functions “Stacking” multiple credit types

Watershed and landscape-focused site selection

“Ecosystem functions, the flow of ecosystem services, and the economic value to society and the economy are site specific…” -TEEB, 2013, 08

“We need to be able to pinpoint places on the landscape … and say these places are really the most important for supplying these benefits....” -Gretchen Daily, 2013

“We need to be able to pinpoint places on the landscape … and say these places are really the most important for supplying these benefits....” -Gretchen Daily, 2013

“The primary objective of the watershed approach included in today’s rule is to maintain and improve the quantity and quality of wetlands and other aquatic resources in watersheds through strategic selection of compensatory mitigation project sites.” -Federal Register, April 10, 2008, pg. 19598.

Value: “The importance or worth of a wetland function to societal needs. This includes public attitudes and the wetland’s opportunity to provide a given function based on its location.” -OR Dept. of State Lands, 2012

Restoration siting

3 moments

–Assessment –Regulatory –Market

3 difficulties

–Context –Categorization –Prioritization

3 moments

Assessment – use online mapping tools Regulatory Market

3 moments

Assessment Regulatory – categorize wetlands Market

3 moments

Assessment Regulatory Market – deploy trading ratios

“And now because of GIS and various resource censusing tools that we have, we can look at all these overlays and determine where all these priorities are.” OR regulator, 7-6-12

3 difficulties

How to assess site context How to categorize wetlands in regulation How to prioritize particular sites

Discussion

Move toward new metrics contested on both economic and ecological grounds Bankers haven’t taken up new projects Markets and plans vary

Conclusion

Watershed planning is likely to run into resistance, but it’ll differ place to place

Questions?

nost@wisc.edu @ericnost Thanks to: NSF Award BCS-12138277 (PIs: Martin Doyle, Rebecca Lave, Morgan Robertson), University of Kentucky Barnhardt-Withington Award, UW Human Environment Research Dynamic (HERD)