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Using Ecosystem Service Values to Inform Coastal Policy Decisions: A California Experiment with Lessons for Alaska. Steve Colt University of Alaska Anchorage steve.colt@uaa.alaska.edu Institute of Social and Economic Research ACRC Juneau 19 April 2012. Outline. Quiz Context
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Using Ecosystem Service Values to Inform Coastal Policy Decisions: A California Experiment with Lessons for Alaska Steve Colt University of Alaska Anchorage steve.colt@uaa.alaska.edu Institute of Social and Economic Research ACRC Juneau 19 April 2012
Outline • Quiz • Context • California valuation exercise • Southeast Alaska ecosystem services examples • So what?
Helicopter-based dog mushing excursions, Juneau Quiz: What SE Alaska tourism sub-industry generated $16 million in revenue from one activity in 2006?
Context • Ecosystem services have value • Knowledge of ES values can inform better management and development (Kaveira) • Knowledge of ES values can inform shared understanding of the value of place (Chapin) • Tourism and harvest are obvious ways to monetize and (perhaps) to nurture ES values. (90% Alaskans support salmon habitat)
California valuation exercise • CA Ocean Protection Council • At OPC request, National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis assembled a team of economists, ecologists, mappers, lawyers, and policy makers
California valuation exercise • Objective: provide spatially explicit and policy-relevant values for ecosystem services generated in coastal regions in California • Analogue: “avoided externalities” of solar PV and solar thermal power projects • Applications: permitting, budgeting, mitigation schemes, offsets, ???
California exercise objectives • CA OPC wanted a balance sheet or menu of ES values • How much is one acre of salt marsh worth? • If we’re going to build roads, housing, or malls on coastal ecosystem areas (such as marshes), we should know what we’re losing
California exercise: Results 1. Very few papers provide spatially explicit values for coastal ecosystem services 2. Many spatially explicit values are for an unspecified “bundle” of services 3. Where they do exist the values vary widely
Selected Economic Values of Marine Ecosystems Worldwide 2008US$/ha/yr
Selected Economic Values of Marine Ecosystems Worldwide 2008US$/ha/yr
Southeast Alaska example: valuation of saltwater charter sport fishing Ginny Fay, Darcy Dugan, Steve Colt Institute of Social and Economic Research University of Alaska Anchorage UAA-CNF Climate Symposium May 5, 2011
Data • AK Fish & Game • Quantity (fishing effort by area fished) • Interviews & Web • Price information • Business licenses & Web • associated reality checks
Method • Aggregate the number of clients and/or boat-hours within each ADF&G statistical area. • Allocate the revenue “from” each ADFG stat. area to its most logical community • (many-to-one relationship)
Results: Total SE AK: 143,000 clients 37,560 trips $73.5 million gross revenue
Highest revenue per square km: Logbook Areas 101451 and 101452 averaged together $49,294 per square km
So what? • Very large variation in measured ES values per square km • Reflects different ways of thinking about “the benefits people obtain from ecosystems” Economics Ecology
So what? Bob Weeden, AK Fish & Game 1987 “I do not advocate turning away from economic valuation” “Nor do I advocate embracing porcupines too warmly”
References • N. Raheema, , , S. Coltb, , E. Fleishmanc, m, 1, , J. Talberthd, , P. Swedeene, , K.J. Boylef, , M. Ruddg, , R.D. Lopezh, 2, , D. Crockeri, , D. Bohanj, , T. O'Higginsk, , C. Willerl, , R.M. Boumansm, . 2012. Application of non-market valuation to California's coastal policy decisions. Marine Policy. Available online 23 February 2012. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.marpol.2012.01.005 • Fay, G.; Dugan, D.; Fay-Hiltner, I.; Wilson, M.; Colt, S. 2007. Testing a methodology for estimating the economic significance of saltwater charter fishing in Southeast Alaska. Anchorage: ISER. http://www.iser.uaa.alaska.edu/Publications/EconSE_Saltwater_Charter_Fish_070530.pdf • Weeden, R. 1987. On Wooden Nickels, Trojan Horses, and Lonely Drummers. Alaska Fish & Game May-June.