Ongoing environmental disasters and extreme weather continue to highlight the intrinsic relationship between our nation’s economy and its ecology.  As flood reporting continues from the Carolina’s this week, these impacts are increasingly measured in lives lost and disaster dollars spent. 

Flood storage, shoreline protection and more are services provided by restored and conserved ecosystems.  These natural assets improve both resiliency and stability for our developed communities.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has long been measuring the ecological successes of marine and coastal restoration efforts.

Linwood Pendleton and Suzanne Simon writing in the National Wetland’s Newsletter: “Economic outcomes from habitat restoration include: direct market effects, e.g., people might be willing to pay to visit a restored area; indirect market effect, e.g., restoration could increase commercial fishing harvest by providing more or better nursery habitat; non-market effects, e.g., the recreational value of fishing in a restored estuary; enjoying the view offered by a restored area, or knowing that an endangered species exists because of habitat restoration, and offsite effects, e.g., restoration can result in reduced sedimentation in downstream areas of estuaries or increased property values.” 

These precious ecosystems provide many goods and services that society values.  Benefits might include fish harvest, recreational angling, bird-watching, hiking.  Real estate values in these environments are often much higher than dry-land areas.  These ecosystems provide a variety of other services including shoreline protection, flood control, and the ability to store carbon.  In freshwater environments, clean drinking water is one of the most vital ecosystem services provided by natural wetlands.  All of these services provide potential value to local, regional, national, and international economies.