IP04 Valuation of Ecological Resources
B115 & B116
1:20 PM - 4:40 PM, Monday
(IP031) A Habitat Restoration Based Approach for Resolving Natural Resource Damage Claims.
Wolotira, R1, Iadanza, N2, 1 NOAA, Office of Response and Restoration, Seattle, WA, USA2 NOAA, Office of Response and Restoration, Portland, OR, USA
ABSTRACT- For the purposes of NRDA settlement, natural resource injuries are quantified in terms of affected habitat rather than numbers of individual species impacted. The currency used in this Habitat Equivalency Analysis (HEA) for valuing both losses due to injuries and gains from restoration is in terms of ecological services. In determining ecological services provided by a habitat, relative values are assigned to habitat classifications, based on the habitat type and its importance to key species. Values are adjusted based on physical environmental conditions that may affect functional value. Scientific literature, applicable regulatory standards, and site-specific data are used to determine the effect that varying sediment concentration levels of hazardous substances have on key species or species groups. This information is used to develop a series of concentration threshold levels for each substance, and each is assigned a corresponding percent reduction in ecological services. A geographical information system (GIS) is used to map habitat types and sediment hazardous substance concentrations and this intersection of chemistry and habitat mapping provides contamination footprints from which percent service loss is calculated. Estimates of when the injury commenced, and time to remediation or natural recovery are used to determination the injury duration. Losses are converted to current year value by multiplying losses for each year by a discount factor corresponding to the calendar year in which the losses occurred, resulting in a total loss for the area. Benefits of potential restoration projects are calculated using initial habitat value assumptions, along with the current condition of the site, date of project initiation, rate of development of specific habitat types, and expected longevity of the project. The end goal is to have the value of restoration projects equal the losses estimated from the injury portion of the HEA.
Key words: natural resource damage assessment, habitat equivalency analysis, restoration