Gem of the Emerald Corridor-Nature's Value in the Mt Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
GEM OF THE EMERALD CORRIDOR NATURE’S VALUE IN THE MT. BAKER-SNOQUALMIE NATIONAL FOREST Gem of the Emerald Corridor: Nature’s Value in the Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest Earth Economics http://www.eartheconomics.org [email protected] Authors: Johnny Mojica, Corrine Armistead, Tania Briceno Year: 2017 Suggested Citation: Mojica, J., Armistead, C., Briceno, T., 2017. Gem of the Emerald Corridor: Nature’s Value in the Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest. Earth Economics, Tacoma, WA. Acknowledgments: Special thanks to Kitty Craig (Washington State Deputy Director, The Wilderness Society). Thank you also to all who supported this project: Dale Blahna (Research Social Scientist, US Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station), Dave Redman (Recreation Planner, Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest), Eric M. White (Research Social Scientist, US Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station), Jon Hoekstra (Executive Director, Mountains to Sound Greenway Trust), Megan Birzell (Northwest Forests Campaign Manager, The Wilderness Society), Mike Anderson (Senior Policy Analyst, The Wilderness Society), Mike Schlafmann (Public Services Staff Officer, Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest), Sarah Lange (Recreation Planner, Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest), Spencer Wood (Senior Research Scientist, University of Washington). We would also like to thank Earth Economics’ Board of Directors for their continued guidance and support: Alex Bernhardt, David Cosman, Elizabeth Hendrix, Greg Forge, George Northcroft, Ingrid Rasch, Molly Seaverns, and Sherry Richardson. Earth Economics team members who contributed to this report include Peter Casey (research), Matt Chadsey (sponsor), Ken Cousins (editing), Jean Jensen (editing and design), Maya Kocian (Senior Economist), Bennett Melville (editing), Cyrus Philbrick (editing and design), and Stephanie Swinehart (research). Cover Photo: provided by Michael Matti via Flickr This study was funded by a grant secured by The Wilderness Society from the Bullitt Foundation. The Bullitt Foundation’s mission is to safeguard the natural environment by promoting responsible human activities and sustainable communities in the Pacific Northwest. Nature’s Value in the Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest | i Table of Contents Table of Tables .........................................................................................................................................iii Table of Figures ........................................................................................................................................ iv Executive Summary ...................................................................................................................................v Introduction ..............................................................................................................................................1 Report Organization.......................................................................................................................................... 2 How to Use This Report .................................................................................................................................... 2 Chapter 1: The Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest ...............................................................................3 Chapter 2: Key Ecological and Economic Concepts ......................................................................................7 Introduction to Natural Capital and Ecosystem Goods and Services ............................................................... 7 Introduction to Economic Contributions ........................................................................................................ 11 Chapter 3: Ecosystem Services ................................................................................................................. 12 Identification and Quantification of Land Cover ............................................................................................ 13 Identification of Ecosystem Services .............................................................................................................. 14 Valuation of Ecosystem Services .................................................................................................................... 17 Annual Value of the Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest ......................................................................... 21 Recreation as an Ecosystem Service ............................................................................................................... 27 Asset Value of the Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest ............................................................................ 28 Discussion ....................................................................................................................................................... 29 Chapter 4: Physical, Social, and Cultural Benefits ..................................................................................... 30 Physical and Mental Health Benefits .............................................................................................................. 30 Volunteerism and Community Cohesion ........................................................................................................ 31 Cultural Significance ....................................................................................................................................... 32 Discussion ....................................................................................................................................................... 33 Chapter 5: Economic Contributions .......................................................................................................... 34 The Economic Contribution of Outdoor Recreation ....................................................................................... 34 Methodology and Data Sources ..................................................................................................................... 35 Recreation Participation and Consumer Expenditures ................................................................................... 36 Nature’s Value in the Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest | ii Economic Contribution Results....................................................................................................................... 39 Economic Contribution of Forest Products .................................................................................................... 41 Special Use Permits in the Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest ............................................................... 41 Other Forest Service Contributions ................................................................................................................ 43 Discussion ....................................................................................................................................................... 43 Chapter 6. Conclusion and Next Steps ...................................................................................................... 45 Conclusion ....................................................................................................................................................... 45 Next Steps and Study Improvements ............................................................................................................. 47 Appendix A: Case Study: The Green-Duwamish and White-Puyallup Watersheds ...................................... 50 Ecosystem Services in the Green-Duwamish and White-Puyallup Watersheds ............................................ 52 Economic Contribution of Outdoor Recreation along the 410 Corridor ........................................................ 54 Conclusion ....................................................................................................................................................... 55 Appendix B: Study Limitations ................................................................................................................. 56 Appendix C. Defining Land cover ............................................................................................................. 58 Appendix D: Economic Value of MBSNF Recreation by Activity ................................................................. 60 Appendix E: Health Value of MBSNF Recreation by Activity ...................................................................... 61 Appendix F. Visitation to Ranger Districts ................................................................................................ 62 Appendix G. Mapping Visitor Spending .................................................................................................... 63 Appendix H. Studies Used for Benefit Transfer ......................................................................................... 67 Appendix I. Image Citations ..................................................................................................................... 77 Appendix J. References ........................................................................................................................... 80 Nature’s Value in the Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest | iii Table of Tables Table 1. Ecosystem Service Valuation Methodologies ..................................................................................... 10 Table 2. Acreage by Land