Identifying Real Avoided Costs to Key Stakeholders: Beavers and Farmers
Mark BuckleyECONorthwest
[email protected] Services Workshop
Portland, OR July 8, 2013
Influential Valuation• How can ecosystem service valuation most
efficiently inform decision-making, influence outcomes?
• Tradeoffs facing stakeholders who influence outcomes– Financing– Political support– Private property management– Individual behaviors
Research questions
Research Questions:• What effects would
beaver restoration have on a watershed?
• What are the socioeconomic demands for these effects?
• How much are these effects worth to society?
Sorenson 2011
Escalante Basin background
Source: The Nature Conservancy, University of Washington, University of Southern Mississippi. 2010. ClimateWizard. Retrieved on November 8, 2010 from http://www.climatewizard.org/. High emissions scenario (IPCC A2), and 60 percent of models project a greater increase. Models showing greater increase expand the size of the darkest area.
Precipitation and volume
Average Monthly Precipitation and Snowfall in Escalante (1901-2005)
Water Volume Flowing Through Basin
Water accumulates in the winter
Flows peak in late spring
Storage at Wide Hollow Reservoir
Surface water
Beaver impacts
Habitat and stream lengths suggest a potential for 1300 colonies in the basin, with 5200-7800 beavers
Beaver density
Dam Density
Colony Density
Economic benefits of ecosystem services
Impact on water quantity
Beaver activity could increase stream flow and volume in the Basin
Beaver activity could also flatten the hydrograph, increasing the volume of water available during dry months
Water quantity value
Value of Alternative Water Sources
Impact on sediment and water quality
Potential Sediment Retention Provided by Beaver
• Water Temperature• Pollutants (nitrogen, phosphates, fecal coliform, heavy
metals)
Impact on land cover
Average Impact of Beaver on Land Cover
Total Potential Impact in Basin (Acres)
Beaver activity could increase the total area of riparian habitat, wetlands, and aquatic habitat in the Basin
Quantified Total Annual Values
Many other benefits identifiable but specific incremental value difficult to isolate
Valuation Implications• Effective valuation means alignment with real
scarcities• Natural capital can provide equivalent benefits
to built capital• Avoided costs can be compelling and the most
appropriate measure of welfare tradeoffs
Escalante Report can be downloaded at www.econw.com
Support from the Grand Canyon Trust and Walton Foundation
Mark Buckley – [email protected]
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