Pennsylvania Geospatial Coordinating Board Services Delivery Task Force & Pennsylvania Spatial Data Access are sponsoring a seminar focusing on the Return on Environment (ROE)--Kittatinny Ridge Conservation Landscape project.
Return on Environment (ROE) is the process of estimating the financial value of open space. Since 2011, Audubon Mid-Atlantic has facilitated ROE studies in ten counties along the Kittatinny Ridge corridor and several townships in the Delaware River Watershed. Projects have also been developed to assist conservation groups and land trusts linking economic benefits to resource conservation, further bolstering these vital programs. Building on previous research, and using standard economic analysis techniques, ROE places a monetary value on green space and the ecosystem services those resources provide. Accounting for the value of trees, fields, forests, and streams in filtering our water, cleaning our air, mitigating floods and stormwater runoff, pollinating plants, and providing habitats and other environmental services is critical to thoughtful decision-making. ROE provides a method for incorporating the value of ecosystem services into discussions and policy decisions regarding land use and development. Also included in the valuation model are the impacts on individuals and property values. Opportunities for outdoor recreation result in decreased healthcare costs and properties are more valuable when they are in close proximity to open space. Recent projects have incorporated ROE findings into online applications, allowing organizations and their partners to include the value of nature and services into decisions on land use and resource conservation.
ROE is a collaboration between the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Audubon, Keystone Conservation Trust, Greener Planning, and Ben Goodman Creative. The team believes that by understanding nature’s financial value, and how it is connected to our quality of life and well-being, communities are better equipped to strike an effective balance between maintaining connected open spaces and supporting smart growth. This approach helps improve environmental quality and ensures a sustainable economy.
Presenters will discuss ROE and the Conservation Landscapes program as well as showing some of the results and data from current and past studies.
For more information on this effort:
- Kittatiny Ridge Conservation Landscape website - ROE Studies
- Article on the PA state blog site on ROE