Application of non-market valuation to California coastal policy decisions

Nejem Raheem; Steve Colt; Erica Fleishman; John Talberth; Paula Swedeen; Boyle Kevin J.; Murray Alan Rudd; R.D. Lopez; D. Crocker; D. Bohan; T. O'Higgins; C. Willer; R.M. Boumans

doi:10.1016/j.marpol.2012.01.005

Application of non-market valuation to California coastal policy decisions

Nejem Raheem, Steve Colt, Erica Fleishman, John Talberth , Paula Swedeen, Boyle Kevin J., Murray Alan Rudd, R.D. Lopez, D. Crocker, D. Bohan, T. O'Higgins, C. Willer, R.M. Boumans

Environment and Geography

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

Regulatory agencies in the United States do not generally consider economic values of ecosystem services in their policy decisions. We report the results of a collaborative effort by a team of economists, conservation biologists, and staff members of the California Ocean Protection Council to provide spatially explicit and policy-relevant values for ecosystem services generated in coastal regions in California. We developed a matrix in which the rows are types of ecosystem services and the columns are types of marine ecosystems along the California coast. Where possible, we populated this matrix with ecosystem service values per unit of area drawn from the economics literature. We then evaluated whether the values for given services, in given ecosystems, could be reasonably approximated by applying the replacement cost or the avoided cost method. Reported values of coastal ecosystems varied widely, and much of the valuation research did not address specific ecosystem services. Even when ecosystem services were explicitly addressed, the services often were not described or valued in a spatially explicit manner. These results suggest that rigorous application of non-market values to policy decisions requires original valuation studies for specific services in specific ecosystems. Where original, place-based valuation studies are not possible, valuation by replacement or avoided cost methods is feasible for some ecosystem services.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	1166-1171
Number of pages	6
Journal	Marine policy
Volume	36
Issue number	5
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpol.2012.01.005
Publication status	Published - Sept 2012

Access to Document

10.1016/j.marpol.2012.01.005

Cite this

@article{ba9c1a028aa5485eb8b24b80eaeefc49,

title = "Application of non-market valuation to California coastal policy decisions",

abstract = "Regulatory agencies in the United States do not generally consider economic values of ecosystem services in their policy decisions. We report the results of a collaborative effort by a team of economists, conservation biologists, and staff members of the California Ocean Protection Council to provide spatially explicit and policy-relevant values for ecosystem services generated in coastal regions in California. We developed a matrix in which the rows are types of ecosystem services and the columns are types of marine ecosystems along the California coast. Where possible, we populated this matrix with ecosystem service values per unit of area drawn from the economics literature. We then evaluated whether the values for given services, in given ecosystems, could be reasonably approximated by applying the replacement cost or the avoided cost method. Reported values of coastal ecosystems varied widely, and much of the valuation research did not address specific ecosystem services. Even when ecosystem services were explicitly addressed, the services often were not described or valued in a spatially explicit manner. These results suggest that rigorous application of non-market values to policy decisions requires original valuation studies for specific services in specific ecosystems. Where original, place-based valuation studies are not possible, valuation by replacement or avoided cost methods is feasible for some ecosystem services.",

author = "Nejem Raheem and Steve Colt and Erica Fleishman and John Talberth and Paula Swedeen and {Kevin J.}, Boyle and Rudd, {Murray Alan} and R.D. Lopez and D. Crocker and D. Bohan and T. O'Higgins and C. Willer and R.M. Boumans",

year = "2012",

month = sep,

doi = "10.1016/j.marpol.2012.01.005",

language = "English",

volume = "36",

pages = "1166--1171",

journal = "Marine policy",

issn = "0308-597X",

publisher = "Elsevier",

number = "5",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Application of non-market valuation to California coastal policy decisions

AU - Raheem, Nejem

AU - Colt, Steve

AU - Fleishman, Erica

AU - Talberth , John

AU - Swedeen, Paula

AU - Kevin J., Boyle

AU - Rudd, Murray Alan

AU - Lopez, R.D.

AU - Crocker, D.

AU - Bohan, D.

AU - O'Higgins, T.

AU - Willer, C.

AU - Boumans, R.M.

PY - 2012/9

Y1 - 2012/9

N2 - Regulatory agencies in the United States do not generally consider economic values of ecosystem services in their policy decisions. We report the results of a collaborative effort by a team of economists, conservation biologists, and staff members of the California Ocean Protection Council to provide spatially explicit and policy-relevant values for ecosystem services generated in coastal regions in California. We developed a matrix in which the rows are types of ecosystem services and the columns are types of marine ecosystems along the California coast. Where possible, we populated this matrix with ecosystem service values per unit of area drawn from the economics literature. We then evaluated whether the values for given services, in given ecosystems, could be reasonably approximated by applying the replacement cost or the avoided cost method. Reported values of coastal ecosystems varied widely, and much of the valuation research did not address specific ecosystem services. Even when ecosystem services were explicitly addressed, the services often were not described or valued in a spatially explicit manner. These results suggest that rigorous application of non-market values to policy decisions requires original valuation studies for specific services in specific ecosystems. Where original, place-based valuation studies are not possible, valuation by replacement or avoided cost methods is feasible for some ecosystem services.

AB - Regulatory agencies in the United States do not generally consider economic values of ecosystem services in their policy decisions. We report the results of a collaborative effort by a team of economists, conservation biologists, and staff members of the California Ocean Protection Council to provide spatially explicit and policy-relevant values for ecosystem services generated in coastal regions in California. We developed a matrix in which the rows are types of ecosystem services and the columns are types of marine ecosystems along the California coast. Where possible, we populated this matrix with ecosystem service values per unit of area drawn from the economics literature. We then evaluated whether the values for given services, in given ecosystems, could be reasonably approximated by applying the replacement cost or the avoided cost method. Reported values of coastal ecosystems varied widely, and much of the valuation research did not address specific ecosystem services. Even when ecosystem services were explicitly addressed, the services often were not described or valued in a spatially explicit manner. These results suggest that rigorous application of non-market values to policy decisions requires original valuation studies for specific services in specific ecosystems. Where original, place-based valuation studies are not possible, valuation by replacement or avoided cost methods is feasible for some ecosystem services.

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84860679545&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1016/j.marpol.2012.01.005

DO - 10.1016/j.marpol.2012.01.005

M3 - Article

SN - 0308-597X

VL - 36

SP - 1166

EP - 1171

JO - Marine policy

JF - Marine policy

IS - 5

ER -

Application of non-market valuation to California coastal policy decisions

Abstract

Access to Document

Other files and links

Cite this