Water From Forests In Georgia Valued At $20 Billion A Year

March 3, 2011 | Clean Water, Greening Water Infrastructure, Storage & Stream Flows, Water Supply, Small Streams & Wetlands, Protecting Rivers, Outstanding Resource Waters

A recent study by the University of Georgia (PDF) and funded by the Georgia Forest Foundation, conservation groups, and forest industry finds that water is by far the most important service provided by forests – more than 20 times the value of forests for rare and endangered species and for carbon storage and climate regulation. The total value of forests to clean water in Georgia is $20 billion a year, while the value of all services, such as habitat, beauty, water, and climate regulation added up to $37 billion a year.

It is critical that we protect and conserve those forests most imprtant to healthy streams and rivers - we must protect riparian and wetland forests in urban and rural communities that provide $1,700 to $8,200 per acre a year in clean water services. This begs the question: If water is a top priority for the protection of forests – why are we losing 108 acres a day in the state?

The public seems to get it - though the forest resources in the state are great, at more than 22 million acres, more than half of those surveyed do not trust forest landowners to maintain healthy forests and less than a quarter thought enough policies were in place to ensure sustainable management of forests. Moreseo, while more than half placed regulation above property rights, the same respondents believed that compensation was necessary to offset economic loss. According to this Georgia needs more sustainable forestry, more education and outreach, and innovative financing mechanisms to slow the loss of forests in the state. While water is important and valuable, we still lack the connection to downstream communities necessary to sustainably manage and protect upland forests – but acknowledgement is forthcoming.

A survey of 3000 landowners throughout the state found that landowners were willing to pay up to $50 a year to maintain forests for clean, abundant supplies of water – especially in North Georgia, where water was the most coveted service provided by forests. If all Georgia citizens were to adopt this approach the state would stand to receive almost a half a billion dollars in forest protection funds. Essentially the people of Georgia understand the need for payments for ecosystem services – a concept long utilized by United State Department of Agriculture conservation programs – and one that means water users are willing to pay for something they have traditionally received for bargain prices – clean drinking water.

Four actions should be taken to move this forward locally and nationally – we need to 1) support existing programs that already protect and restore forests that provide the most clean water benefits nationally through the USDA and USFS and locally; 2) increase outreach to educate landowners, water utilities, and policymakers on the importance of forests to clean water and other ecological benefits; 3) provide opportunities for innovative financing; and 4) acknowledge the value of forests to water in planning, such as the Georgia State Water Plan currently under development. Until we do so, Georgia and other growing states are going to continue hemmorhaging forestland, losing valuable services for water and wildlife.

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