A Framework for Implementing Biodiversity Offsets: Selecting Sites and Determining Scale

Kiesecker, Joseph M.; Copeland, Holly E.; Pocewicz, Amy; Nibbelink, Nathan P.; McKenney, Bruce; Dahlke, John; Holloran, Matthew J.; Stroud, Dan

doi:10.1525/bio.2009.59.1.11

Cited by 129 publications

(152 citation statements)

References 18 publications

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“…A hierarchy for mitigation was legislated and encompasses five crucial steps: (i) avoiding the impact, (ii) minimizing it, (iii) repairing or restoring the affected environment, (iv) reducing the impact over time by preservation or maintenance, and (v) compensating for the impact by replacing or providing the substitute resources or environments (see 40 Code of Federal Regulations 1508.20; Kiesecker et al 2009). Whereas restoration refers to improving ecological health, compensation is perhaps best thought of as an economic term that refers to human actions to improve resource or service flows.…”

Section: Background On Hea and Non-market Valuationmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Ecosystems, Ecological Restoration, and Economics: Does Habitat or Resource Equivalency Analysis Mean Other Economic Valuation Methods Are Not Needed?

Shaw

Wlodarz

2012

AMBIO

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Coastal and other area resources such as tidal wetlands, seagrasses, coral reefs, wetlands, and other ecosystems are often harmed by environmental damage that might be inflicted by human actions, or could occur from natural hazards such as hurricanes. Society may wish to restore resources to offset the harm, or receive compensation if this is not possible, but faces difficult choices among potential compensation projects. The optimal amount of restoration efforts can be determined by nonmarket valuation methods, service-to-service, or resourceto-resource approaches such as habitat equivalency analysis (HEA). HEA scales injured resources and lost services on a one-to-one trade-off basis. Here, we present the main differences between the HEA approach and other nonmarket valuation approaches. Particular focus is on the role of the social discount rate, which appears in the HEA equation and underlies calculations of the present value of future damages. We argue that while HEA involves elements of economic analysis, the assumption of a one-toone trade-off between lost and restored services sometimes does not hold, and then other non-market economic valuation approaches may help in restoration scaling or in damage determination.

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Section: Background On Hea and Non-market Valuationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Whereas restoration refers to improving ecological health, compensation is perhaps best thought of as an economic term that refers to human actions to improve resource or service flows. HEA tries to meet the requirements of being a compensation approach (Kiesecker et al 2009). …”

Section: Background On Hea and Non-market Valuationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ecosystems, Ecological Restoration, and Economics: Does Habitat or Resource Equivalency Analysis Mean Other Economic Valuation Methods Are Not Needed?

Shaw

Wlodarz

2012

AMBIO

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“…Adherence to this approach can help reduce adverse impacts of development, by defining resources and areas to be avoided, and outlining steps to minimize, restore, or offset unavoidable impacts. The principles of the mitigation hierarchy can be applied at a landscape scale through spatial analyses that map constraints and opportunities for both development and conservation [16][17][18]. Finding areas that are both suitable for renewable energy development and of relatively low biodiversity conservation value represents a possible ''win-win'' for two otherwise potentially conflicting objectives [19].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

An Approach to Enhance the Conservation-Compatibility of Solar Energy Development

Cameron¹,

Cohen²,

Morrison³

2014

Solar Energy

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The rapid pace of climate change poses a major threat to biodiversity. Utility-scale renewable energy development (.1 MW capacity) is a key strategy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, but development of those facilities also can have adverse effects on biodiversity. Here, we examine the synergy between renewable energy generation goals and those for biodiversity conservation in the 13 M ha Mojave Desert of the southwestern USA. We integrated spatial data on biodiversity conservation value, solar energy potential, and land surface slope angle (a key determinant of development feasibility) and found there to be sufficient area to meet renewable energy goals without developing on lands of relatively high conservation value. Indeed, we found nearly 200,000 ha of lower conservation value land below the most restrictive slope angle (,1%); that area could meet the state of California's current 33% renewable energy goal 1.8 times over. We found over 740,000 ha below the highest slope angle (,5%) -an area that can meet California's renewable energy goal seven times over. Our analysis also suggests that the supply of high quality habitat on private land may be insufficient to mitigate impacts from future solar projects, so enhancing public land management may need to be considered among the options to offset such impacts. Using the approach presented here, planners could reduce development impacts on areas of higher conservation value, and so reduce trade-offs between converting to a green energy economy and conserving biodiversity.

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“…When onsite impacts warrant the use of offsets there is often little attention paid to make certain that the selection of offset sites provides the greatest conservation benefit, ensuring they are consistent with landscape level conservation goals [12]. In most offset frameworks it is difficult for developers to proactively know the offset requirements they will need to implement.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Framework for Implementing and Valuing Biodiversity Offsets in Colombia: A Landscape Scale Perspective

Saenz

Walschburger

González³

et al. 2013

Sustainability

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Biodiversity offsets provide a mechanism for maintaining or enhancing environmental values in situations where development is sought, despite negative environmental impacts. They seek to ensure that unavoidable deleterious environmental impacts of development are balanced by environmental gains. When onsite impacts warrant the use of offsets there is often little attention paid to make sure that the location of offset sites provides the greatest conservation benefit, ensuring they are consistent with landscape level conservation goals. In most offset frameworks it is difficult for developers to proactively know the offset requirements they will need to implement. Here we propose a framework to address these needs. We propose a series of rules for selecting offset sites that meet the conservation needs of potentially impacted biological targets. We then discuss an accounting approach that seeks to support offset ratio determinations based on a structured and transparent approach. To demonstrate the approach, we present a framework developed in partnership with the Colombian Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development to reform existing mitigation regulatory processes. OPEN ACCESSSustainability 2013, 5 4962

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A Framework for Implementing Biodiversity Offsets: Selecting Sites and Determining Scale

Cited by 129 publications

References 18 publications

Ecosystems, Ecological Restoration, and Economics: Does Habitat or Resource Equivalency Analysis Mean Other Economic Valuation Methods Are Not Needed?

Ecosystems, Ecological Restoration, and Economics: Does Habitat or Resource Equivalency Analysis Mean Other Economic Valuation Methods Are Not Needed?

An Approach to Enhance the Conservation-Compatibility of Solar Energy Development

A Framework for Implementing and Valuing Biodiversity Offsets in Colombia: A Landscape Scale Perspective

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