Earth Economics

In November, 22 First Nations, the Canadian federal government, the Government of the Northwest Territories, and private donors signed an historic agreement to invest $375M over the next 10 years for Indigenous-led conservation, stewardship, and economic development. As one of the largest Indigenous-led conservation land initiatives in the world, "NWT: Our Land for the Future" aims to protect land and water, preserve biodiversity, and prioritize Indigenous values and laws as guiding principles for economic development. #indigenousmanagement https://ow.ly/JhZk50UtB7j

$21B in investments by Florida and the federal government have reduced invasive species and phosphorous pollution in the Everglades, but stakeholder coordination is a persistent challenge. A recent National Academies highlights the lack of input from Miccosukee and Seminole Tribes in restoration efforts and planning. As long-standing environmental stewards, the Tribes have supported higher environmental standards and cautioned against over-engineered solutions to the state’s environmental challenges. #indigenousmanagement https://ow.ly/Y27V50UsVIN

New guidance directs the BLM to offer conservation alongside extractive uses (e.g. grazing, logging, mining), broadening the purposes eligible for leases of federal lands. #conservationleases https://ow.ly/y7th50Us2R4

By 2030, 70% of US dams will be over 50 years old. Maintaining older dams can be more expensive than removal, Free running rivers serve the broader community, restoring healthy habitat and ecosystem function, increasing climate resilience by allowing streams to meander naturally, and creating educational and recreational opportunities. Dam removal can also strengthen tribal sovereignty over resource stewardship. #riverrestoration https://lnkd.in/dAE_U2QA

Accelerating warming is threatening in Canada's chinook salmon, and in response, the Canadian and Alaskan governments have mandated a seven-year fishing moratorium. The survival of chinook is critical to the First Nations whose ancestors developed deep cultural connections to salmon over millennia of living in balance with the species. #salmonrecovery https://ow.ly/Nent50Uo0z8

Scientists can now identify species by testing water for DNA traces, allowing them to track the movement of species from salmon and killer whales, to invasive green crabs. Because conventional monitoring techniques are more labor-intensive, they have tended to focus on areas where target populations is already known to be present. #eDNA https://ow.ly/x30150UnZw9

The 2024 A Community on Ecosystem Services Conference starts today in Austin, TX! Several Earth Economics researchers will be presenting our recent work, including expanded financing for wetland restoration, natural climate solutions, First Nations forest management, source water protection, modeling outdoor recreation with mobile device data, and integrating equity in the valuation of community-driven solutions. Connect with us if you’re there! #ACES2024 https://ow.ly/Y0Ru50UnYF4

Just months of the largest dam removal project in US history, salmon have returned to Oregon’s Klamath Basin, after more than a century. Local Tribes and conservationists have praised this milestone. #habitatrestoration “The return of our relatives the c’iyaal’s is overwhelming for our tribe. This is what our members worked for and believed in for so many decades.” —Roberta Frost, Klamath Tribes https://ow.ly/XeL950Uk2Yv

A growing body of research shows that exposure to wildfire smoke causes short-term and long-term mental health impacts, including anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder. Wildfire smoke also disrupts natural sleep cycles and alters moods. Children are particularly at a much higher risk of exposure, since their brains are still developing. #wildfirehealthimpacts https://ow.ly/lMk350Uk2y1

The Living Infrastructure Field Kit is a free, collaborative web tool that supports project teams visualize designs for schoolyards, parks, resilience hubs, and urban forests. Developed in partnership with Accelerate Resilience L.A., it includes a design tool and resources for green infrastructure projects that provide multiple health, environmental and societal benefits. By providing guidance and fostering collaboration, the Living Infrastructure Field Kit accelerates the journey from visionary concepts to tangible proposals that address the unique needs of each community. #greeninfrastructure https://ow.ly/MUm550Uk2hT