Ecosystem Services - Forest Guild

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Valuing NM Ecosystem Services, from page 7MEMBERSHIPProfessional Membershipin the Forest Guild is open to allforest professionals whose work isdirectly related to the stewardshipand protection of forests,whether that work occurs throughon-the-ground management,policy, advocacy, or research.Other individuals who share aconcern for forests and forestry areinvited to participateas Supportingor Sustaining Members.Students are also encouragedto join and become involved.JOIN TODAYwww.forestguild.orgPhoto above by Mark L. WatsonWater QualityIn the high deserts of New Mexico, water isparticularly valuable because of its scarcity. In2006, the Rio Grande Basin (the largest riversystem in the state) received 29 percent of itswater from national forestlands. An estimated0.33 acre-feet per year of surface-waterflow originated from each acre of nationalforestlands in New Mexico. Expanding thatestimate by the 16.7 million acres of NewMexico forested land in 2000 (includingUSFS, private/Indian Trust, Bureau of LandManagement (BLM), state), as much as 5.5million acre-feet of water flows from NewMexico’s forests each year. At $17 per acre-foot,the value of water calculated in 2000 just for instream flow, New Mexico’s forests provide atleast $93.7 million dollars in clean water. Thecurernt value may be significantly more.Non-timber forest products & servicesNew Mexico’s forests provide numerous otherservices for which prices could be developedand some that are probably impossible toquantify. For example, piñon nut harvestingis important both culturally and economicallyin the Southwest. While the BLM charges only$.25/lb for piñon gathering, the nuts sell fornearly 100 times that in the retail market.PollinatorsNew Mexico recently passed a bill recognizingthe importance of pollinators, some of whichmake their homes in forests. Nationally, beespollinate $15 billion worth of crops, and otherinsects provide up to $57 billion in ecosystemservices through dung burial, pest control, andwildlife nutrition.CarbonNew markets are also being developed forecosystem services like carbon. It should bepossible to estimate a monetary value to the148 million tons of carbon stored in trees inNew Mexico’s forests, especially if new climatechange legislation escalates the price of carbon.The nuts and bolts of valuing forest carbonis explored in more depth in the article oncarbon forest offsets on page 8 in this issue.EducationAs outdoor learning laboratories, New Mexico’sforests provide a valuable educational servicefor numerous children through in-school andextracurricular programs. For example, 860,000boy scouts and others have visited the PhilmontScout Ranch in Cimarron, New Mexico. Outdoor,interactive education can increase student testscores, reduce discipline problems, increase teacherjob satisfaction, and build resource stewardship.Scenic vistasNew Mexico’s forests provide a backdrop for itsburgeoning film industry. “Most films do use thelandscape, the forest, the rangelands – and yes,without those – we would not get those films.” (LisaStrout, Director of the New Mexico Film Office,2009) So some portion of the $253 million spentby the film industry in New Mexico is due to thespectacular vistas and beautiful settings providedby forests.SpiritualityPerhaps the most difficult ecosystem service to puta monetary value on is the spiritual or religiousvalues that forests provide. As John Muir said“Everybody needs beauty as well as bread, placesto play in and pray in, where nature may heal andcheer and give strength to the body and soul alike,”(The Yosemite p. 256). New Mexico’s mountainsare sacred to many of the Pueblos and NativeAmerican tribes of the region. For example, MountTaylor in west-central New Mexico was designateda Traditional Cultural Property in 2009.WISDOM summer 2010 / 12
ConclusionThough it is difficult to establish the exactvalue of the ecosystems services New Mexico’sforests supply, this review of the existing datademonstrates their importance. Clmate changeand forest fragmentation will likely only increasethe value of services such as water and carbonstorage. Emphasis on renewable energy mayWhere’s the Money, from page 3return on investment an altruistic rather than afinancial gain. If that happens, I guess I shouldn’tbe outraged when a woodlot is carved clean of itstrees, topsoil stripped, sand and gravel excavated,and houses built – the money is so easy to follow!What started out as my “rant” has turned intoa “cry for help!” I don’t claim to know muchincrease the value of woody biomass fromforest while the colony collapse disorder hasraised awareness about the importance ofpollinators. Hopefully, research will providebetter estimates of these services’ economicworth so that the full value of New Mexico’sforests is acknowledged.about any of this. I just counted the trees, butwouldn’t it be easier to persuade people to careabout marshlands, swamps, wetlands, waterquality, the existence of a host of plant andanimal species, and the beauty of thelandscape if we could attach a dollar valueto them?MISSIONThe Forest Guild promotesecologically, economically, andsocially responsible forestryas a means of sustainingthe integrity of forestecosystems and the welfareof human communitiesdependent upon them.The Guild provides training,policy analysis, and research tofoster excellence in stewardship,to support practicing forestersand allied professionals, andto engage a broader communityin the challenges of forestconservation and management.Sustainability, from page 1to carry out USDA’s climate and rural revitalizationgoals by supporting the development of emergingmarkets for carbon, water quality, wetlands, andbiodiversity.“Environmental markets leverage privateinvestments that result in cleaner air, improvedwater quality, restored wetlands, and enhancedwildlife habitat,” said Vilsack. “These markets havethe potential to become a new economic driver forrural America, exactly what we need to supporta bold, creative future for America’s farmers,ranchers and rural communities.”OEM will work across government and inconsultation with experts and stakeholders tobuild a market-based system for quantifying,registering, and verifying environmentalbenefits produced by land managementactivities.The Forest Guild’s principles encourage theprotection that ecosystem services aspire toprovide by placing the highest priority on themaintenance and enhancement of the entireforest ecosystem. Management that maintainsthe health of the entire ecosystem, ensuresthat forests continue to provide a full range ofservices whether they are recognized by themarket or not.Above -Arcata Community Forest,Arcata, CA.Photo by Michael McDowellWISDOM summer 2010 / 13
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