Non Point Work Group Ecosystem Services

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Non Point Work GroupEcosystem Services
Presented by Terry Lasher Authored by Buck Kline
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Ecosystem Services
CO
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Externalities
CARBON
BIODIVERSITY
Land Clearing Costs
Building Construction Costs
Land Value Cost
WATER
AIR
Landowner Decision
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3 Million More People1 Million Fewer Forest Acres
Population
Forest Land
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Virginia Status

• FY 2006-2007 saw a net loss of an additional
  27,300 acres of forest land
• Between 1992 -1997, there was a loss of 116,000
  acres of agricultural land

• How can we enhance landowner participation in
  existing and emerging ecosystem service markets?
• What tools can we provide to state and local
  government to smartly manage growth and mitigate
  environmental impacts?

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Virginias 25 billion forest products industry
Needs Support to Conserve Forest Land!

• We cant get our water quality offshore
• We cant get our wildlife habitat offshore
• We cant get our viewsheds offshore
• We cant get our air quality offshore

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Current Efforts

• Carbon Sequestration
• Water Quality
• Nutrient load reduction
• Sediment loading
• Air Quality
• Wildlife/Biodiversity

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WHY? Carbon

• In 1993 China was a net exporter of oil. By
  2025, it is predicted that China will import
  10,000,000 barrels. (U.S. Dept. of Energy)
• 45 million acres of forestland are lost annually
  worldwide (Food and Agriculture Organization of
  UN)
• Globally, one days deforestation produces as
  much in greenhouse gas emissions as eight million
  people flying from London to New York
  (Carbonpositive)
• In Virginia, one million metric tons of CO2
  emissions occur annually as a result of the loss
  forest land due to conversion (U.S. Forest
  Service)

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WHY? Water Quality

• In the U.S., withdrawals for all uses totaled 408
  billion gallons per day in 2000. 79 was surface
  water (U.S. Geological Survey)
• In 2000, 85 of the American population depended
  on public water supplies In 1950, it was 62
  (U.S. Geological Survey)
• One-third of the world's major watersheds have
  lost more than 75 percent of their original
  forest cover (World Resources Institute)

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Credit CalculationThe Foundation of the Effort

• Good metrics are important
• Must be backed by science
• Must meet existing regulatory criteria

QUALITY CREDIT (Quantity for market or
mitigation)
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Why Favor Environmental Solutions?
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Environmental or Technological Solution?
AND/OR
CAP
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Water Quality Efforts

• Sediment Load Reduction Infiltration
• Practices
• Ag land conversion to Forest
• Agricultural BMPs
• Stream restoration work
• Potential Applications
• Municipal water supplies (reservoir life,
  treatment costs)
• Stormwater management
• TMDLs

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How Does Forest Cover Influence Air Quality?
Pollutants (ozone, PM, SOx, NOx)

• Objectives
• Determine a science based physical measure for
  air quality credits
• Explore voluntary mitigation opportunities or
  market-based solutions

• Current Effort
• Center for Chesapeake Communities/USFS/VDOF
• Building on Dr. Dave Nowaks work

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Developing the Tools(Virginia Tech/Interagency
Team Effort)

• Create a pilot GIS-enabled tract-based ecosystem
  service credit calculator tool that will provide
  spatially-referenced information
• Tool will incorporate existing GIS data,
  inventoried inputs (species, age, stocking), and
  remote sensing
• Starting with carbon sequestration, water quality
  (sediment/nutrients), and biodiversity
• User can select tract via spatial or database
  query, then calculate/quantify the ecosystem
  service of interest
• Alternative land use and management options
  available for what-if scenarios

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Potential Applications
Cost Share Programs
Landowners
Web-Based Application
County Government
Resource Managers
State Agencies
Easement Programs
Quality Credit
Registry/Exchange
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Virginia Landowner
Carbon Sequestration Project 18 acres afforested
Nutrient Credit Trading Project 8 acres
Hardwood Stand 400 MBF
87 acres total forested acres in municipal
watershed
Wetlands Mitigation Project 11 acres
Riparian Buffer to be planted 12 acres
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Needs

• Resource Managers trained in developing ecosystem
  service portfolios and marketing those services
• Landowner Education
• Cost analyses to enhance the landowner and
  community based decision making process
• Development process must be dynamic to reflect
  legislation, existing agency programs, and
  regulatory drivers. Collaboration is needed.
• Create a multiple-use product (markets, voluntary
  mitigation, land-use planning, program
  prioritization)
• Marketing strategy for voluntary credit purchases
  (Corporate stewardship, socially responsible
  investing (SRI), public relations, etc.)
• Progress forward is dependent on funding
  opportunities and bullet 4

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Questions?
Terry Lasher, Assistant Regional
Forester Virginia Department of
Forestry Warrenton, VA Phone [phone]