Environmental Indicators Environmental Indicators and Sustainabilityand Sustainability

Experiences from the United StatesExperiences from the United StatesBrian LaneBrian Lane

Strategic PlannerStrategic Planner

The Rocky Mountain Region

International Symposium on Indicatorsof Sustainable Development

Taipei, Taiwan Dec. 1-2

About the Rocky About the Rocky Mountain RegionMountain Region

3 0 Y e a rs o f E n v iro n m e n ta l P ro g re s s

R e p o rt

T h is rep o rt h ig h lig h ts

o u r sh ared

en v iro n m en tal

su ccesses w h ile

id en tify in g k ey

ch allen g es w h ich w e

n eed to fo cu s o n .

R eg io n 8 s eco sy stem s

are u n d er p ressu re.

L arg e tracts o f o p en

sp ace ch aracterize m u ch o f o u r R eg io n s lan d area;

h o w ev er, th e eco sy stem s fo u n d in th ese areas are

b ein g affected b y h ab itat frag m en tatio n an d

d estru ctio n , an d b y th e p o llu tio n o f th e en v iro n m en ts

p lan ts an d an im als n eed to su rv iv e.

- F u ll rep o rt-

0 4 /1 8 /2 0 0 0 - R eg io n 8co m m en ts o n latestA n im as-L aP lataim p act statem en t

0 4 /1 2 /2 0 0 0 -B ro w n field s G ran taw ard ed to C ity o fE n g lew o o d , C O

0 4 /1 2 /2 0 0 0 -B ro w n field s G ran taw ard ed to S alt L ak eC ity G atew ay P ro ject

0 4 /1 2 /2 0 0 0 - H y g ien eE lem en tary S ch o o lreceiv es th e 1 9 9 9P resid en t'sE n v iro n m en tal Y o u thA w ard

- M o re N ew s -

M a y is N a tio n a l W e tla n d s M o n th

M o re th an 1 0 ,0 0 0 sp ecies, o r 2 0 p ercen t o f th e

w o rld s fresh w ater fish h av e b eco m e ex tin ct,

th reaten ed , o r en d an g ered in recen t y ears d u e to

w etlan d s lo ss. G et in v o lv ed b y v isitin g w etlan d s

ev en ts in S o u th P latte P ark , C h erry C reek S tate

P ark , an d T w o P o n d s N atio n al W ild life R efu g e in

C o lo rad o . T h e T w o P o n d s N atio n al W ild life

R efu g e w ill h o st sev eral ev en ts in M ay an d Ju n e

su ch as th e M ay 7 In tern atio n al D aw n C h o ru s

D ay. G et u p at su n rise to listen to th e so n g b ird s

fo u n d in th e refu g e A m o rn in g b ird w alk w ill b e h eld o n M ay 2 0 .

- M o re in fo rm a tio n -

W etlan d L o sses1 7 8 0 s - 1 9 8 0 s

S ta teC O

M TN DS DU T

W YT o ta l

% L o ss*5 0 %2 7 %4 9 %3 5 %3 0 %3 8 %

4 2 %* estim ated

E P A s A g ric u ltu re P rio rity

In Ju n e, E PA , R eg io n 8 w ill h o st a m eetin g w ith

S tate an d F ed eral ag ricu ltu re related ag en cies to

create a n atio n al p artn ersh ip . M ajo r areas o f

em p h asis are: p artn ersh ip s, p esticid es risk

red u ctio n s, an im al feed in g o p eratio n s, an d g en etic

en g in eerin g .

- M o re in fo rm a tio n -

N e w a n d Im p ro v e d R e g io n 8 W e b S ite

A n u m b er o f im p ro v em en ts h av e recen tly b een m ad e to th is w eb site to

m ak e it easier to fin d in fo m atio n . W e are still in th e p ro cess o f co n v ertin g

so m e p ag es an d ad d in g n ew o n es. P lease co n tact u s if so m eth in g d o es

n o t w o rk , ap p ears to b e m issin g , o r if y o u ju st w an t to let u s k n o w h o w

w e're d o in g .

Y o u m ay also co n tact u s at:

1 -8 0 0 -2 2 7 -8 9 1 7 o r (3 0 3 ) 3 1 2 -6 3 1 2

U R L : .

M o d ified o n :

A Few Facts About the Region:- 6 States- 27 Indian Tribes- Dry Climate- Rocky Mountains- Great Plains- Large % of Land Government Managed- Home of Many Natural Treasures...Yellowstone National Park

Leading Environmental Pressures:-Agriculture-Mining-Growth and Development

The Most Widely Used The Most Widely Used Indicator FrameworkIndicator Framework

Pressure State Response

•Ambient conditions

•Body Burden Uptake

•Ecological Health & Welfare

•Discharges

•Emissions

•Regulatory Response

•Actions by Regulated Community

•Pounds of toxics used

•Vehicle miles traveled

•Number of single use disposable goods purchased

•Air quality (ppm)

•Air quality

•Tons recycled, incinerated or landfilled

•Number of air permits

• Automobiles inspected

•Number of permitted landfills or incinerators

Examples:

Point Sources

Hydromodification

Flow Regulation

Urban Runoff/Storm Sewers

Natural

Atmosperic Deposition

Habitat Modification

0 10 20 30 40

MajorModerateNot Specified

Agriculture

Indicators of Environmental Indicators of Environmental PressuresPressures

% of threatened impaired miles

Leading Sources of PollutionLAKES & STREAMS

Indicators ofIndicators ofAmbient ConditionsAmbient Conditions

Indicators of Agency Indicators of Agency ResponseResponse

1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999-20000

2

4

6

8

10

12

Cleanups at 18 of 45 priority hazardous waste sites

Up to 10 of remaining 27 sites by 2001

New Construction Completions by Year

Responsible Parties have performed more than 70% of long term clean ups: Taxpayer savings- $ 1.3 billion

Projected

Hazardous Waste Site Cleanups

Pros of the Pros of the Pressure-State-Response ModelPressure-State-Response Model

Good framework for thinking about Good framework for thinking about environmental causesenvironmental causes

Categorizes indicators in a common Categorizes indicators in a common sense, easy to understand waysense, easy to understand way

Fits in well with the public policy Fits in well with the public policy process process

Cons of the P-S-R Model Cons of the P-S-R Model

Some indicators don’t fit in this modelSome indicators don’t fit in this model– e.g., willingness to pay for environmentally e.g., willingness to pay for environmentally

safe productssafe products

Model is one-dimensional; the Model is one-dimensional; the environmentenvironment

Where U.S. is Headed with Where U.S. is Headed with IndicatorsIndicators

Greater emphasis on results, on the Greater emphasis on results, on the environmentenvironment– linking to environmental resultslinking to environmental results

Shift from contraints (lack of data) to Shift from contraints (lack of data) to evaluation of successevaluation of success

Shift to local and state decision-making and Shift to local and state decision-making and accountabilityaccountability

Focus on managing and measuring in a placeFocus on managing and measuring in a place Focus on longer-term sustainable indicators Focus on longer-term sustainable indicators Communicating with the Public Communicating with the Public

What is a Sustainable What is a Sustainable Indicator?Indicator?

A A measurable measurable vision of a vision of a community’community’s futures future

How to Make a Perfect How to Make a Perfect Sustainable IndicatorSustainable Indicator

ChooseSomething that the community

cares deeply about

How to Make the Perfect How to Make the Perfect Sustainable IndicatorSustainable Indicator

Measure what you want to be

Other considerations for Other considerations for selecting Sustainable Indicatorsselecting Sustainable Indicators

Relevant, understandable, and Relevant, understandable, and useableuseable

Long-term view (25-50 years)Long-term view (25-50 years) Show linkagesShow linkages Used Used

Example of a Good Example of a Good Sustainable Indicator in Sustainable Indicator in

Use:Use:

The Bernie Fowler's "Sneaker Index” The Bernie Fowler's "Sneaker Index”

Bernie Fowler has a GoalBernie Fowler has a Goal

GOAL: Restore Bernie's sneaker visibility to chest depth (57 to 63 inches).

"Although this is not a scientific measure, it puts restoring the River on a human scale."

Source: C. Bernard Fowler, 1992-1993 Chair of the Chesapeake Bay Commission;Kent Mountford, U.S. EPA Chesapeake Bay Program.

50’s 60’s 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 20000

1

2

3

4

5

6V

isib

ility

in F

eet

63"

57"

10"8"

16" 16"18"

28" 28"

40"

Goal

37"

44.5"

35.5"

41.5"39.5"

Sustainable Indicators Sustainable Indicators Have LinkagesHave Linkages

Algae Growth

OysterPopulation

Decline

Decline in Oyster

Fishing Industry/Jobs

Excess Nutrients

FastGrowth andDevelopment

Land Use Trends

Underwater SeagrassDecline

Other related social factors

-health-education

-crime

RiverVisibilityImpaired

The “Sneaker Index” is The “Sneaker Index” is Widely KnownWidely Known

11th Annual Patuxant River Wade, June 1998 PhotographSneaker Index Score: 35.5 inches

Goal: 57 to 63 inches

Ways U.S. EPA is Pursuing Ways U.S. EPA is Pursuing Sustainable Indicators and PracticesSustainable Indicators and Practices

Examples of Current WorkExamples of Current Work Community-based environmental Community-based environmental

protection programs protection programs (Chesapeake Bay..)(Chesapeake Bay..)

Real time monitoring in major citiesReal time monitoring in major cities– EMPACTEMPACT

Research and DevelopmentResearch and Development– Environmental Monitoring and Environmental Monitoring and

MappingMapping Outreach and EducationOutreach and Education