Environmental Sustainability and Economic Development

1
Environmental Sustainability and Economic
Development

• presentation to theOregon State Board of Higher
  EducationAcademic Excellence/Economic
  Development Working Group

Michael Hibbard May 11, 2004
2
Environmental Sustainability and Economic
Development

• Introduction
• This is not about the commercial applications of
  research, product development, or the like
• It is about encouraging business practices and
  processes that advance sustainability
• Such practices would lead to
• Reduced costs of doing business
• New market opportunities

3
Environmental Sustainability and Economic
Development

• Sustainable business practices
• Green building and (office/industrial) campus
  design
• Zero-waste strategies
• Remanufacturing
• Ecological restoration
• Using the tools, techniques, firms, and work
  force of resource extraction to rehabilitate the
  environment
• Conservation-based development
• Creating marketable goods and services by using
  good environmental management

4
Environmental Sustainability and Economic
Development

• Ecological restoration opportunities examples
• Juniper and sagebrush removal
• Forest thinning
• Wetlands restoration
• Salmon habitat restoration
• Conservation-based development examples
• Range-fed beef
• Specialty forest products
• Eco-tourism/heritage tourism

5
Environmental Sustainability and Economic
Development

• Roles for higher education research
• Forestry, fisheries, agriculture
• Policy studies
• Demonstration projects
• Evaluation studies

6
Environmental Sustainability and Economic
Development

• Roles for higher education technical assistance
• Consultation
• Facilitation
• Analysis

7
Environmental Sustainability and Economic
Development

• A research example Procurement Contracting in
  the Affected Counties of the Northwest Forest
  Plan
• A technical assistance example Community
  Capacity and Wildfire Protection

8
Environmental Sustainability and Economic
Development

• An environmental sustainability/economic
  development strategy focused on these three areas
  would
• Address problems of existing businesses and
  provide new business opportunities
• Contribute to the economic and environmental
  health of Oregon
• Affect all areas of Oregon