Economic Impacts of Ecosystem Restoration...–Highlight specific restoration projects –Create...
Transcript of Economic Impacts of Ecosystem Restoration...–Highlight specific restoration projects –Create...
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!