Measuring the Benefits of Biodiversity Conservation · land for biodiversity, validates the scores...

Measuring the Benefits of Biodiversity Conservation

Recommendations for a National Framework

Nicole Maness l 13 December 2012

measurement system n.: suite of activities that communicates the overall quality and function of land for biodiversity, validates the scores produced by the metric, & places the metric into a program that reinforces validity of the metric

Measuring Biodiversity Measurement Systems for Quantification

Need for Standardization Metrics & Incentive Program Design

Increase

Efficiency

Boundaries

& Scale

Demand

Report funded by

USDA Office of

Environmental Markets

April 2011

USDA Office of Environmental Markets

USDA Natural Res Cons Service

US Fish & Wildlife Service

US Geological Survey

Defenders of Wildlife

Nature Conservancy

Ecosystem Marketplace

NatureServe

Pinchot Institute

Sustainable Solutions

Environmental Defense

Business & Biodiversity Offsets Prog

World Resources Institute

Colorado State University

Environmental Bank & Exchange

Technical Group

Challenges in Measurement Metrics & Incentive Program Design

Precision

Practicality

Scale

Challenges in Measurement Metrics & Incentive Program Design

• Characteristics

• Process: Metrics and Program Design

• Lessons from the Field

Standardizing Measurement Systems

• Is science-based

• Is valid (eg accurate, sensitive, repeatable & transparent)

• Incorporates the landscape context of the site

• Is practical, economical, and easy to use by multiple programs

• Can be applied at different scales

A Good Biodiversity Measurement System

1. Identify conservation goals & uses

2. Engage experts to identify ecosystem

functions and define indicators

3. Review existing systems

4. Develop draft metric

5. Validate metric for accuracy, repeatability,

sensitivity and cost

6. Finalize the metric, documented

assumptions, and program design

7. Revisit measurement system after 2 years

Building a Measurement System

Lessons from the Field

Anticipated Benefits

Identify best opportunities

for successful mitigation

Stream Function Assessment Aquatic Resource Mitigation Framework for Oregon

• Functions-Based Assessment

Methodology

• Stream Classification System

• Program Policy

Good Measurement System Science-based

Valid (accurate, sensitive, repeatable)

Economical

Rapid

Scale

Stream Function Measurement System Aquatic Resource Mitigation Framework for Oregon

1. Clarify Goals

2. Engage Experts

3. Review Existing Experts

4. Draft Metric

5. Validate Metric

6. Construct MS

7. Revisit in 2 yrs

Building a Measurement System

1. Identify conservation goals & uses

2. Engage experts to identify ecosystem

functions and define indicators

3. Review existing systems

4. Develop draft metric

5. Validate metric for accuracy, repeatability,

sensitivity and cost

6. Finalize the metric, documented

assumptions, and program design

7. Revisit measurement system after 2 years

Identify Goals & Objectives of

Conservation Program

Compliance mitigation

404 CWA

Convene Technical Group Stakeholders

Construction of Metric Scientists

Review & Field Testing Stakeholders & users

Programmatic Policy

Development

Agencies

Capacity Building/Outreach On-going

Revisit after 2 years 1. Clarify

Goals

2. Engage Experts

3. Review Existing Experts

4. Draft Metric

5. Validate Metric

6. Construct MS

7. Revisit in 2 yrs

Stream Function Measurement System Aquatic Resource Mitigation Framework for Oregon

Streams Technical Working Group

Stream Function Measurement System Aquatic Resource Mitigation Framework for Oregon

Identify Goals & Objectives of

Conservation Program

Compliance mitigation

404 CWA

Convene Technical Group Stakeholders

Construction of Metric Scientists

Review & Field Testing Stakeholders & users

Programmatic Policy

Development

Agencies

Capacity Building/Outreach On-going

Revisit after 2 years 1. Clarify

Goals

2. Engage Experts

3. Review Existing Experts

4. Draft Metric

5. Validate Metric

6. Construct MS

7. Revisit in 2 yrs

Stream Function Measurement System Aquatic Resource Mitigation Framework for Oregon

Stream Function Assessment Methodology

Conceptual Model

Identify Goals & Objectives of

Conservation Program

Compliance mitigation

404 CWA

Convene Technical Group Stakeholders

Construction of Metric Scientists

Review & Field Testing Stakeholders & users

Programmatic Policy

Development

Agencies

Capacity Building/Outreach On-going

Revisit after 2 years 1. Clarify

Goals

2. Engage Experts

3. Review Existing Experts

4. Draft Metric

5. Validate Metric

6. Construct MS

7. Revisit in 2 yrs

Stream Function Measurement System Aquatic Resource Mitigation Framework for Oregon

Program Policy

Site Selection Criteria

Eligibility

Credit Quantification

QA/QC

Monitoring Requirements

Verification

Financial Assurances

Stewardship Requirements

Stream Function Measurement System Aquatic Resource Mitigation Framework for Oregon

Clarify regulatory guidance on biodiversity markets

Enable high quality biodiversity measurement systems

Provide tools and technical assistance to those building

markets and measurement systems

Kick-start more real world examples of biodiversity

markets and incentives

Options for Action

Thank you

www.willamettepartnership.org