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