economic impacts of ecosystem restoration...–highlight specific restoration projects –create...
TRANSCRIPT
Economic Impacts of Ecosystem Restoration
Cathy Thomas, Kristin Skrabis, Chris Huber, Lynne Koontz & Billy Gascoigne
Overview • Benefits of ecosystem restoration
• Project overview
• Methods and outputs
• Case study highlights
• Uses and extensions
• Eliciting case studies
Benefits of Ecosystem Restoration
• Enhances and restores biodiversity and ecosystem services
• Provides benefits to local communities
– Ecological improvements
– Supports local businesses
– Creates jobs
Project Overview • Impetus:
– Interest in connection between ecosystem restoration and economic benefits to communities
– Insufficient data for estimating impacts
• Objectives:
– Understand the complexity of restoration projects and the required inputs for restoration
– Increase information and accuracy of impact estimates
– Highlight economic benefits of restoration investments in local economies
Project Methods
• Case study approach
• IMPLAN input/output analysis
• Primary data collection
– Detailed expenditure breakdown
• labor, materials, equipment, …
• Percent spent locally
• Where in the supply chain each material was purchased
Project Output
• Case study product is a 1-2 page highlight with photos
• Average local job and labor impacts per year
• All case studies will be included in a searchable database
Case Study Highlights
Collaborative : Federal & local governments and NGOs pooling resources & management
Truckee River • TNC, FWS, BLM, BoR, local
Tribe, and >10 other agencies • 4 river stretches on private,
county, and BLM land • $19M project lasting 5 years • Supported 37 jobs & $2.7M in
income per year
Glacial Ridge Prairie • TNC, FWS, NRCS, MN state and
many other partners • Now a National Wildlife Refuge • $24M project lasting 11 years • Supported 15 jobs & $840K in
income per year
Projects support local input suppliers
• Many projects utilize locally produced goods
– Nursery products
– Quarried resources (rocks, fill dirt)
• Truckee River:
– Over 90% of materials purchased from local suppliers (average of $875K per year)
• Glacial Ridge:
– Supported 4 new seed supply businesses and a new seeding and mowing business (average of $430K per year)
Markets for materials removed from the land
Gerber Stew • Stewardship contracts • 4.4M ft3 of biomass removed • Hog fuel, clean chips & sawlogs • $3M project lasting 8 years • Supported 19 jobs and $870K in
income per year
Las Cienegas • 1,500 tons of biomass removed • Firewood permits • Hand-crafted mesquite furniture • $1.5M project lasting 2 years • Supported 10 jobs and $600K in
income per year
Uses and Extensions
• Individual case studies – Highlight specific restoration projects – Create awareness of connection between ecosystem
restoration and job creation
• Database – Will classify restoration projects by type of injury,
landscape, restoration activities, etc. – Provide improved secondary data on restoration
expenditures and impacts
• Meta-analysis • Combine with non-market studies
Eliciting Case Studies
• Must have a DOI connection
• Please contact Cathy Thomas with suggestions
Thank you!