VALUING THE AQUATIC BENEFITS OF BRITISH COLUMBIA’s LOWER MAINLAND Nearshore Natural Capital Valuation VALUING THE AQUatIC BENEFITS OF BRITISH COLUMBIA’S LOWER MAINLAND: NeaRSHORE NatURAL CAPItaL VALUatION November 2012 David Suzuki Foundation and Earth Economics By Michelle Molnar, Maya Kocian and David Batker AcknOWLEDGEMENTS The authors wish to acknowledge the extremely helpful contributions received during the preparation of this report. First and foremost, the authors wish to acknowledge the Sitka Foundation, who made this report possible. In addition, we would like to thank VanCity, Pacific Parklands, and Vancouver Foundation for their early and ongoing support of our natural capital work. We would like to thank Kelly Stewart (San Jose State University), Heidi Hudson (DSF), Zac Christin (EE), Lola Paulina Flores (EE) and David Marcell (EE) for their research assistance. Thanks to peer reviewers Sara Wilson (Natural Capital Research and Consulting), David Batker (EE), Jay Ritchlin (DSF) and Faisal Moola (DSF) for their advice, guidance and support in strengthening this report. Many thanks to Hugh Stimson (Geocology Research) who provided spatial data analysis and produced all of the maps within this report, and Scott Wallace (DSF) for sharing his fisheries data analysis. Copyedit and design by Nadene Rehnby handsonpublications.com Downloaded this report at davidsuzuki.org and eartheconomics.org Suite 219, 2211 West 4th Avenue 107 N. Tacoma Avenue Vancouver, B.C. V6K 4S2 Tacoma, WA 98403 T: 604.732.4228 T: 253.539.4801 E: [email protected] E: [email protected] www.davidsuzuki.org www.eartheconomics.org Contents PHOTO COURTESY JAN KOCIAN EXecUTIVE SUMMARY ................................................................................................................5 PaRT 1 IntRODUctION ............................................................................................................12 PaRT 2 OveRVIew OF STUDY ARea ........................................................................................16 PaRT 3 STUDY APPROacH.......................................................................................................24 PaRT 4 AQUatIC LanD COVER IN THE LOWER MAINLAND .....................................................34 PaRT 5 IDENTIFIcatION OF ECOSYsteM SERVICES IN THE LOWER MAINLAND ................... 42 PaRT 6 Case STUDIES .............................................................................................................61 PaRT 7 SUMMARY OF VALUES ................................................................................................67 PaRT 8 COncLUSIOns AND RecOMMENDatIOns ...................................................................72 APPenDICES Appendix A: Tribes and Nations in the Study Region ..................................................75 Appendix B: Limitations of Study and Results ............................................................76 Appendix C: Land Cover Sources ..................................................................................81 Appendix D: Detailed Ecosystem Service Tables ........................................................85 Appendix E: Primary Studies .........................................................................................88 ANNOtateD BIBLIOGRAPHY ..................................................................................................... 89 REFERences ......................................................................................................................... 100 Download David STUDY ASSUMPTIONS Suzuki Foundation reports in this series This report adopts an explicitly economic perspective on the links between economic at davidsuzuki.org/ development, natural resources and ecosystem services. This implies a focus on the value publications of functioning ecosystems to people, contrary to the intrinsic value of nature in its own right. This is not to suggest that nature’s intrinsic biological, aesthetic, cultural, and evolutionary merits do not hold substantial and significant value. Such values are relevant and should be factored into decision-making. An economic approach further implies that incentives matter. That is to say, that price signals, subsidies, taxes and property rights influence human behaviour and the use of natural capital. The lack of market incentives and public policy to indicate the full value of ecosystem services is a key contributor to the continued loss of natural resources and their associated ecosystem services. Although economic valuation cannot capture a comprehen- sive picture of nature’s value, it is an important tool that can help decision-makers improve their ability to account for, conserve and secure nature and related ecosystem services. Executive Summary Our natural environment provides things we need to survive — breathable air, drinkable water, food for nourish- The future of B.C.’s ment, security from flood and storm, and stable atmospheric conditions — to name a few ecosystem ‘goods environment and and services.’ Natural systems also provide things essential for every economy to survive, such as oxygen, economy are intricately water and resources — indeed everything in the built environment originated from the natural environment. intertwined. Careful Natural systems are only now beginning to be viewed as economic assets, providing economically valuable choices must be made goods and services. to ensure a healthy Whereas 100 years ago the natural systems of British Columbia were conceived to be abundant and healthy and sustainable relative to the demands made of them, today B.C.’s ecosystems are under stress. Rapid population growth and future for natural widespread development in the province’s temperate southern region have contributed to its designation as systems, people a provincial ‘hotspot’ — a region of both high biodiversity and high risk. The continuing influx of people into and the economy. the Lower Mainland will affect all aspects of sustainability (social, environmental, and economic) across a PHOTO COURTESY range of temporal and spatial scales. The region’s natural resources will be drawn down to create more jobs, BEAUITIFUL BC/FLICKR more housing and businesses, goods and services, transportation facilities, and recreational space. Unless these activities are significantly modified to mitigate their current impacts, they will cumulatively place an enormous burden on the land, species, and other natural resources. In turn, these activities will impact the ecological processes that support modern life. Another path is to better design the economy to be more compatible with natural systems. The future of B.C.’s environment and economy are intricately intertwined. Careful choices must be made to ensure a healthy and sustainable future for natural systems, people and the economy. DAVID SUZUKI FOUNDATION and EARTH ECONOMICS PAGE 5 This study illuminates the connections between the economy and the aquatic ecosystems of B.C.’s Lower Mainland. By identifying and placing a value on the non-market goods and services sustained by these ecosystems and provided to 2.5 million residents, these connections are brought into the open. This is a vital step toward an informed discussion of how public and private decision-making can incorporate a wider range of interests into policies to improve prosperity for all. In November 2010, the David Suzuki Foundation released Natural Capital in BC’s Lower Mainland: Valuing the Benefits from Nature, which estimated the public value of land-based ecological services in the Lower Mainland. This report serves as a companion report in that it surveys the public value of aquatic-based ecological services to residents of the same region. SCOPE OF REPORT The study area for this report (shown below) extends beyond the political boundaries of the Lower Mainland, to represent boundaries that are ecologically appropriate for the ecosystem services addressed in this report. The region includes the Georgia Strait and the major watersheds that empty into it, most notably the Fraser River Watershed. STUDY AREA FOR THE AQUATIC VALUATION The study area includes the Georgia Strait and the major watersheds that empty into it, most notably the Fraser River Watershed. FRASER RIVER PHOTO COURTESY TTCOPLEY/FLICKR Inland study area Marine study area PAGE 6 VALUING THE AQUATIC BENEFITS OF BRITISH COLUMBIA’s LOWER MAINLAND: NEARSHORE NATURAL CAPITAL VALUATION This study illuminates the connections between the economy and the Our land cover analysis identified nine land cover classes, including beach, estuary, forest, lakes and rivers, aquatic ecosystems marine, riparian buffer, salt marsh, wetland and eelgrass beds. This analysis indicates that in the entire study of B.C.’s Lower area, the dominant ecosystem type is marine at 42 per cent of land cover, followed by forest at 40 per cent, Mainland. By riparian buffer at 13 per cent of land cover, and lakes and rivers at 4 per cent of land cover. The remaining identifying and classes together represent less than 5 per cent of land cover (see below). placing a value on the non-market DISTRIBUTION OF LAND CLASSES goods and services sustained by Less than 1%: these ecosystems Beach Estuary 1% and provided to Eelgrass beds Salt marsh 2.5 million residents, Wetland Riparian buffer these connections 13% are brought into Forest the open. 40% TSAWWASSEN FERRY TERMINAL PHOTO COURTESY Marine EvAN LEESON/FLICKR 42% Lakes and Rivers 4% DAVID SUZUKI FOUNDATION and EARTH ECONOMICS PAGE