The public does not participate in the market directly. Rather, its interests are represented by regulatory agencies, municipal service providers, special interest groups such as environmental organizations, and lawmakers, whose work affects the set-up, structure, and function of the market. A market-based approach to conservation gives these entities additional tools to use in allocating public money and time efficiently, and thus getting the greatest return on its investment in the ecosystems that support business, agriculture, and industry and make cities and towns livable.

Case study: The people of Oregon

Farmers, foresters, environmentalists, developers, industrialists, city dwellers and in truth all Oregonians have a clear stake in the restoration and protection of the Willamette Basin. The Willamette Partnership is built upon the principle that a stable society and a robust economy both depend upon the state of the environment in which they function. It represents a change in thinking when it comes to balancing the immediate needs of the population against the long-term health and stability of the environment. On the surface, the Partnership’s solution is simple. A mature market for ecosystem services allows those decreasing environmental health to meet their mitigation requirements by paying those who voluntarily increase environmental health. Below the surface, this solution requires a profound change. Individuals, institutions and communities will have to re orientate their thinking when it comes to investing in natural resource, and coalesce around a shared strategy.

What Oregonians can ultimately expect from a Willamette ecosystem services marketplace is:

• A more efficient and effective use of public dollars
• Increased coordination between public conservation and restoration efforts
• Opportunities to accommodate growth without environmental degradation
• Rewards for voluntary actions on private lands
• A healthier and sustainable Willamette River basin