Ecosystem Services: Trees are the Answer
May 11, 2011 at 3:30 pm by Christine Cadigan
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently launched a new strategy to use “green infrastructure” in cities and towns as a means of reducing stormwater runoff.
Stormwater runoff is a major polluter of our country’s streams, creeks, rivers, lakes, and coastal waters. By investing in green infrastructure, municipalities can cut their budgets for pollution remediation technologies and clean-up tremendously.
Ecosystem Services
Green infrastructure encompasses a wide variety of tools and techniques that includes tree planting. Urban areas lacking trees and other green infrastructure tools allow polluted water to run off impervious surfaces and further damage our waterways. Trees capture and filter pollutants by passing stormwater through soils and retaining excess water and pollutants on site.After announcing the strategic agenda, EPA Deputy Administrator Bob Perciasepe stated, “Green infrastructure changes improve the health of our waters while creating local jobs, saving communities money and making them healthier and more prosperous places to raise a family and start a business.”
Learn more about ecosystem services by visiting www.forestfoundation.org/ecosystem-services.
Ecosystem services, defined as beneficial processes provided by existing natural systems, are often undervalued and misunderstood. Detailed examples of ecosystem services will be discussed during the American Forest Foundation and World Resources Institute’s 4th annual Ecosystem Markets Conference on June 29th-July 1st.
Held this year in Madison, Wisconsin, the conference will cover both the environmental benefits of ecosystem services and the potential financial returns that can be gained.
Register for the Ecosystem Markets Conference
Come visit experts, professionals, and landowners who are actively participating in ecosystem service markets and learn more about the myriad benefits of ecosystem services markets!Photo credit: Flickr's mastino70
