Federal Activities on Valuation of Ecosystem Services
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Transcript of Federal Activities on Valuation of Ecosystem Services
Federal Activities on Valuation of Ecosystem Services
Frank Casey
Science and Decisions Center US Geological Survey
Ecosystem Services Valuation Workshop
Portland State University
Portland, Oregon, July 8-9, 2013
Topics– PCAST
– NSTC/CENRS/SES
– QuEST/BEST
– ESWG
– NESP
– OMB
– BLM
Definitions and Clarifications
– PCAST: President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology, 2011: Sustaining Environmental Capital: Protecting Society and the Economy (Ecosystem Services)
– Recommendation: Quadrennial Ecosystems Trends Assessment: QuEST
– Blue Print for Implementation of QuEST
– National Science and Technology Committee: NSTC
– Committee on Natural Resources and Sustainability: CENRS
– Sub-Committee on Ecological Systems: SES
Sub-Committee on Ecological Systems
Produced “BEST” Report: Biodiversity and Ecosystem Trends Assessment
*Note: This document is still under review by Federal agencies.
ES Valuation: Ecosystem Services Working Group (ESWG)
• Federal response to implementation of Recommendation 4 of the PCAST report: Agencies to improve capacity to develop ES valuations affected by their decisions and used in impact analysis.
• Valuation in physical and economic terms• US Forest Service, EPA• USGS lead on valuation methods team• Just getting started
Complementary Activities on Valuation
• National Ecosystem Services Partnership: Incorporating ES concepts and valuation into a guidebook for federal land management decision makers.
• Bureau of Land Management: Guidance for incorporating ES valuation into land management decisions
• Office of Management and Budget:
Federal data call for ES valuation projects
Complementary Valuation Activities
• Army Corps of Engineers Guidance Effort
• US Forest Service Planning Rule
• National Park Service
• NOAA Guidance
-Strengthen the case for public cost-share
-Request increased public funds for research and conservation
Major Challenges• Coordination
• Consistency
• Flexibility
-Strengthen the case for public cost-share
-Request increased public funds for research and conservation