Incorporating Ecosystem Services Into Economic Assessments of Restoration Projects

Abstract

Economic evaluations of range improvements have traditionally valued the additional livestock ca- pacity and beef production that can be obtained, but that production value usually justi es only 50% to 80% of the total range improvement cost on many western rangelands.1 Failure to include a measure of other environmental, ecological, and societal bene ts of range im- provements, beyond livestock production, implicitly assigns a value of zero to those outputs in the traditional economic assessment. This has led some to conclude that cost share programs for range improvements should be eliminated.2 A contrary view held by many rangeland managers is that it is morally, ethically, and professionally right to institute man- agement practices that stop erosion, grow quality forage and vegetation, and improve rangeland conditions. Many range- land managers holding these beliefs are of the opinion that conservation practices should not have to be economically justified.