Environmental Economics for Watershed Restoration

Whether addressing pollution problems or helping protect a specific use, watershed associations are finding that the competition for funds is getting harder. While we can grasp the value of our streams for fishing or kayaking and other services, or their cultural value, or their value to an ecosystem, putting a dollar value on those benefits is not an easy task, but it is sometimes a necessary one.

A handbook for advocates and stakeholders, Environmental Economics for Watershed Restoration provides guidance to those who are interested in understanding and incorporating economic valuation in project prioritization and other decision-making aspects of stream or watershed restoration. It provides background on the types of ecological goods and services that are often valued and details the types of questions that must be asked in watershed project analysis. The book allows those who are not economists to be comfortable discussing things like contingent valuation, marginal costs, nonmarket goods, and other terms needed to satisfy the economic analysis requirements often needed to secure funding for projects.

In some cases, economic analysis does require input from a trained economist, but in many cases the analysis needed to get a grip on the problem can be tackled by someone familiar with the situation, as long as he or she has access to essential economic guidance. Environmental Economics for Watershed Restoration can provide that guidance.

Introduction to Economic Jargon and Decision Tools. A Closer Look at Valuation Methods and What They are Used For. Valuing the Restoration of Acidic Streams in the Appalachian Region. Using Hedonic Modeling to Value AMD Remediation in the Cheat River Watershed. Using Benefit Transfer to Value Acid Mine Drainage Remediation in West Virginia. Economics of Ecosystem Management for the Catawba River Basin. Estimating Willingness to Pay for Aquatic Resource Improvements Using Benefits Transfer. Using Conceptual Models to Communicate Environmental Changes. Local Economic Benefits of Restoring Deckers Creek: A Preliminary Analysis.