Page 21 - Georgia Forestry - Issue 4 - Fall 2021

RESEARCH
Understanding and Defining Ecosystem- Services Market Opportunities
For more than 20 years, the concept of ecosystem services markets has been evolving. In 2011, GFF funded research through the University of Georgia to quantify the monetary value of ecosys- tem services provided by Georgia’s 22 million acres of privately owned timber- land. This research, along with critical work from the Georgia Forestry Com- mission and others, has established a foundational knowledge of ecosystem services for the entire country.
Today, GFF is supporting work within a broad coalition of national and regional organizations to gain a better understanding of the types of
ecosystem-service market structures and agreements where landowners can be paid for the clean water services they provide. With funding from the U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Commu- nities, GFF embarked on a multi-phased project earlier this year together with Keeping Forests, a regional partnership of 40 organizations with the common mission to keep forests as forests. The research was conducted by Dovetail Partners, a nationally recognized think tank focused on complex forestry issues.
The research provides a comprehensive review of successful approaches to ecosystem services programs across the country and the tools used to implement effective programs. At the local level, the study was informed by expert interviews and focus groups within four primary watersheds in Georgia — Upper Oconee, Middle Chattahoochee, Lower
Here for generations. Especially those
to come.
“Synovus now has a team dedicated to providing our region’s most vital industries with the specialized attention they deserve. I’m proud to lead them.”
–Clint Hood
Business Development Director Manager, Agriculture & Timber Division
To meet your new team, visit synovus.com/agriculture
or give me a call at 478-494-5000.
Synovus Bank, Member FDIC and Equal Housing Lender
www.GeorgiaForestryMagazine.com | 19
WHAT IS
AN ECOSYSTEM
SERVICE?
Ecosystem services are a set of services that forests provide above and beyond forest products, including (but not limited to):
Water quantity and quality
Recreation
Greenhouse gas (GHG) mitigation and climate regulation
Soil formation and stability
Pollination
Wildlife habitat
Aesthetic, cultural and passive use