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Building The Economic Case For The Preservation Of Open Space

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TITLE

Building the economic case for the preservation of open space: An analysis of the limitations and advantages to utilizing the Benefit-Transfer Method toward natural capital and ecosystem valuation.
AUDIENCE

My primary audience includes local, regional and state urban planners and policy-makers who are considering Benefit-Transfer Methodology (BTM) as a tool to preserve open space and ecosystem services through policymaking and/or political influence. Additionally, environmental organizations and land stewards in California could find value in the conclusions of this report as they deliberate which planning resources to use toward progressing their respective agendas.

Notably, the findings drawn from this report are not exclusive to California and can be helpful to different areas around the United States as they approach land use decisions unique to their jurisdiction. Finally, independent groups who may find this research useful include the environmentally conscious subset of California’s population and certain businesses concerned with the consumption and sustainability of California’s natural resources and the tools available to meet this issue.

BACKGROUND

What is Benefit-Transfer Methodology (BTM)?
Benefit-Transfer Methodology is a valuation tool that estimates the economic value of ecosystem services provided by the natural capital within a study site by applying, and adjusting as needed, original values from a previous study of similar scale . For

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