Impact Magazine - Spring 2008 - (Page 17)

remove phosphorus and other nutrients from water on farms, construct large reservoirs to capture rainwater north of the lake and slow its southern movement, and drill wells to store excess water underground,” said Sarah Lynch, project director with World Wildlife Fund based in Washington, D.C. “Now, in an innovative program that would complement these existing restoration efforts, we are trying a new concept — paying ranchers to provide important environmental services that are desperately needed in South Florida,” she said. “The pilot project will not pay ranchers to comply with water quality standards already mandated by state and federal programs, but compensates them for retaining water and removing phosphorus above and beyond the required standards.” She said the 5-year research project will develop ways for measuring and documenting the value of these environmental services in order to estab- lish contracts with state agencies and other willing buyers. Lynch, whose global conservation organization led the development of the project, said a 2005 study showed that buying environmental services directly from ranchers can save taxpayers money and be implemented more quickly than regional treatment facilities and large reservoirs. “And ranchers, who often face low profit margins and fluctuations in the price of beef, will have another source of stable income, creating a financial incentive for their land to remain in ranching instead of more intensive development,” she said. “By sustaining ranches, the project will also sustain rural communities that depend on them.” She said “environmental services” include many of the benefits that people and the planet receive from natural ecosystems. For the Everglades and Lake Okeechobee, this means water purification, water control and wildlife habitat. “Because we often take these services for granted and they are often considered to be ‘free,’ the value of this natural capital is not captured in markets or by most economic indicators,” she said. “The urgent need to protect and enhance the natural capital that provides these services is driving pay-for-services initiatives such as the Florida Ranchlands Environmental Services Project.” Funding for the $5 million project is coming from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service, the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, the South Florida Water Management District and World Wildlife Fund. Other partners include the Florida Department of Environmental Protection and the MacArthur Agro-Ecology Research Center. FeATure The Florida Ranchlands Environmental Services Project is designing and testing a program that will compensate ranchers who protect the water resources, wetlands and wildlife habitats in the Everglades ecosystem. photo by thomas wright IMPACT | Spring 2008 17

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Impact Magazine - Spring 2008

Impact Magazine - Spring 2008 Contents A Big Boost for Biofuels Top Priority Partnerships for Sustainable Agriculture Eliminating the Evil Weevil Invasive Pest Defeating Resistant Roaches Biodiesel Boon User-Friendly Updates for FAWN Flat-Out Great for the Grill! Laser Labeling Cashing in on Caviar Saving Water with Soil-Moisture Sensors Spotlight IFAS Development News

Impact Magazine - Spring 2008

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