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Counting on the Environment
Funded by a NRCS Conservation Innovations Grant
As of June 4, 2009 state and federal natural resource management agencies, along with other important non-profit stakeholders, have agreed in principle with the ecosystem service crediting and debiting system developed by the Willamette Partnership through its Counting on the Environment program. While much work remains, large and formative steps have been taken to creating a functioning ecosystem service market for Oregon and the greater Pacific Northwest.
Accomplishments
Currencies: The stakeholder working-group convened for the project approved four currencies for inclusion in the first version of the Integrated Ecosystem Service Calculator. They include: wetlands, salmonid habitat, prairie habitat and riparian habitat. Planning has already begun to include additional currencies.
Crediting and Debiting Ecosystem Services
Ecosystem Credit Calculator
Technology: New technology will serve a pivotal role in making ecosystem service markets accessible and efficient. This technology will need to be flexible, adaptable and scalable. It must also be designed to accommodate, or operate in conjunction with, other software being developed in the field. The Partnership issued and selected an internationally-recognized technology firm, TZ 1, to provide registry services for credits issued from through the Integrated Ecosystem Service Calculator. Other technologies, including a web-based user interface capable of directing credit production (among other things) are in their initial stages of development.
Pilots: The Counting on the Environment methodology has been fully or partially run at two restoration sites and one impact site. We have also developed a field reference guide and a data sheet for collection of indicator measures to quantity the salmonid habitat, prairie habitat and riparian habitat credits. The wetland assessment still uses it own datasheet and field manual tied to the Oregon Rapid Wetland Assessment. The Counting on the Environment Manual, and summaries of the pilot projects, are available by following the the link below: