After surviving the thick policy and history surrounding Wisconsin
Wetlands, you might now wonder: how is the local community becoming involved in the
protection of these free ecological filters?
Firstly,
the DNR does offer a “Wetland delineation professional assessment initiative”
for individuals to keep tabs on the status of these Wisconsin policies.
However, this week I stumbled upon another actor who seems to exemplify the
power individuals can have in the Midwest wetland restoration effort.
Take
a look at their organization’s introductory video to get a better idea of what
this might be:
(Hint!
Listen up around 3:05)
Yes,
you heard right; The Wetlands Initiative not only works to restore more
wetlands, but is working to create innovative changes in how environmental
restoration is financed!
After
completing two successful restoration projects at the Hennepin &Hopper Lakes (Ramsar site!) and the Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie in the 90s, TWI decided to expand their reach. Working
past the financial limitations of a nonprofit, The Wetlands Initiative began to
seek new strategies and partnerships—a “new economic roadmap for restoration.”
On this revitalized roadmap, the
organization works as “conservation entrepreneurs” to “advocate, develop, and
test innovative strategies to jumpstart restoration on a grand scale.”
These
new strategies include:
-Developing ecosystem service
markets that compensate landowners for
restoring wetlands
-Reimbursement for the beneficial services that natural infrastructure
restoring wetlands
-Reimbursement for the beneficial services that natural infrastructure
can provide
(For all who may not remember from the 1st post, this includes:
naturally removing nutrient pollution, reducing soil erosion, storing sediment,
holding floodwaters, sequestering carbon, and facilitating recreation.)
So
what does this approach mean when translated into the reality of business and
economy? The Wetlands Initiative is utilizing a market-based system, partnering
with the local farmers, government, and natural environment to privatize a
common (yet scarce) natural resource (Evans 124).
To
help understand how this commodification of “ecosystem services” can function
realistically in the dynamic U.S. market, let’s take a look at a case study
Wetlands Initiative highlights.
Growing
Wetlands for Clean Water (Big Bureau
Creek)
This
project, piloted by the Wetlands Initiative, formed an active response effort
to the nutrient pollution of the Mississippi River system—known as one of the
biggest issues for the watershed. This nutrient pollution “is not just a ‘down
the Mississippi’ problem”, but degrades water quality throughout the
Midwest. Although many state and federal work to produce rules and strategies to address this problem,
the Wetlands Initiative “believe[s] on-the-ground steps don’t have to wait” (Growing Wetlands for Clean Water).
So, as a leader for agricultural communities and farmers, TWI used the Big Bureau Creek area as a key site for their
target of Mississippi nutrient reduction. When conducting initial outreach,
the Wetland Initiative discovered that many farmers were unfamiliar with the
benefits of wetlands on agricultural land. For this reason, TWI promoted the adoption
of small wetlands located within or near ditches or small tributaries on active
farms in the upper Midwest (GWCW).
Within this system, farmers who managed wetlands on their
land could obtain over $500 net profit per acre through nutrient credits. These
credits are valued and produced when:
-A ton of nitrogen or phosphorus is
removed from a river or stream
-Carbon is removed from the air
-Flood prevention is successfully
utilized
-Recreational use is present
This visual further breaks down the potential profit that
local farmers can make under this market-based trading system:
(Finding Value in Wetlands)
Here, TWI demonstrates how creating a wetland along a natural floodplain, instead of growing corn or soybeans, can have a much more profitable result for local farmers in the long run.
Here, TWI demonstrates how creating a wetland along a natural floodplain, instead of growing corn or soybeans, can have a much more profitable result for local farmers in the long run.
Once these nutrient credits are obtained, farmers can then exchange them with cities or industries to help our government comply with
national standards and preserve a “resilient” landscape for the future generations.
In summary, although this organization seems like yet another nonprofit
working to reverse the degradation of Midwestern wetlands, TWI is
blazing the trail to fuse economic interest and trade with responsible management of
local ecosystems. Yes, the contributions of wetlands may never truly be quantified. Yet even so, this newly incentivized market has already motivated landowners to voluntarily restore numerous
wetlands across the region.
Interested
in reading more? Find their valuing methods and more at these links!
