Ecosystem services are life sustaining processes of nature, such as wetlands purifying drinking water, vegetation preventing erosion, healthy soil producing crops, and clean rivers supporting abundant fish populations. Owners whose lands produce ecosystem services historically have been compensated only through sales of products, such as food and timber. Ecosystem services marketplaces provide a system for entities whose commercial activities impact the environment to compensate other landowners for providing services on their land that remedy those environmental impacts. For example, a manufacturer whose processes raise water temperature in a stream might compensate a nearby landowner for planting shade trees to cool the water.
Senate Bill 513, passed by the 2009 Legislature, directed the Sustainability Board to convene an Ecosystem Services Markets Working Group, and directed the Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board (OWEB) to provide staff support. OWEB brought in Oregon Consensus to facilitate the year-long work group process.
Results
The work group agreed on proposals to streamline implementation and create a functioning marketplace with transparent rules and processes; to jump-start ecosystem marketplace investments; and to address ongoing and emerging issues.
Ecosystem services markets provide direct ecological benefits and tools for landowners and resource conservation practitioners, and benefit communities by creating jobs and helping farm and forest operations remain viable.
Project Lead
Turner Odell
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