Earth Economics

Filing Period

Jan 1, 2012 to Dec 31, 2012

Signed

Nov 11, 2013

Return Version

2012v2.1

Gross Receipts

$1,199,625

Mission

Major Activities

Activity 2

Other Domestic - California, Alaska, 21st Century Utility, Flood Policy, Outreach - Expanded work into California and Alaska. In Alaska, a comprehensive economic analysis of Matanuska-Susitna (Mat-Su) Borough's watershed was initiated with workshops and surveys completed. The analysis will allow policy-makers to make smarter land use decisions which will affect the 91,000 people that live in the borough and depend on its natural capital. In California, Earth Economics kicked-off the "SC3 Project," a comprehensive project in Sonoma, Santa Cruz and Santa Clara Counties quantifying working lands, parks and natural areas and showing how conservation investments are sound long-term economic investments. - Completed ecological economic analysis of the Middle Cedar River Watershed, located in eastern Iowa, the most populated portion of the Iowa-Cedar Basin. To date, this is the most comprehensive analysis of its kind in the Midwest. The study and workshops helped local communities and the Iowa-Cedar Basin Interagency Team with green infrastructure planning. - Provided ecosystem service values to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for ten land cover type/ecosystem type combinations and technical support development of their Benefit Cost Analysis Tool v. 5.0. These values enable FEMA to incorporate the ability of coastal and floodplain values, such as the flood risk reduction value of riparian areas. These values were tested by FEMA, and shown that their use in previous repetitive floods would have saved FEMA, flood disaster victims, and US taxpayers a great deal of money. The values were adopted into FEMA policy for all flood and hurricane disaster mitigation in 2013, and now apply to Super Storm Sandy mitigation. Damages and benefits to the ecosystem goods and services, better informing their mitigation actions and investments in floodplains, and ultimately reducing flood risk for communities. FEMA is the first federal agency to systemically incorporate ecosystem service values into their benefit cost analysis. - Developed the first ever water utility accounting frameworks for natural capital, which, being tested by partner water utilities who serve 17 million Americans. As part of the 21st Century Utility Project, Earth Economics also worked with San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC) on language discussing the importance of healthy watersheds for utility operations in their Comprehensive Annual Financial Report transmittal letter, and is co-editing a guidebook with the World Resources Institute on how to integrate natural infrastructure into watershed decision-making. Earth Economics has also built utility upper-management support and identified opportunities for utilities to move forward on natural capital accounting with presentations to water utilities spanning four core states, utility conferences and other events, educating more than 200 utility and accounting professionals in the process. - Participated in, presented at, or hosted many outreach events, including workshops, keynote presentations, and conferences. These included the keynote for Wisconsin Wetlands Association, a presentation on Natural Capital Accounting at Sustainable Path Grantee Celebration, the University of Washington, Portland's Bureau of Environmental Services, and Eugene Water and Electric Board. Earth Economics also spoke to university students at Seattle University, University of Puget Sound and Evergreen State College. Workshops include the Urban Ecology Research and Conservation Symposium, a workshop on finance mechanisms for utilities at Oregon State University and Midwest farm and flood workshops as part of Midwest project. Earth Economics also presented at conferences all over the country including the American Water Works Association (AWWA), the National Ground Water Association, the Living Future Conference, American Water Restoration Association (AWRA) Sumer Specialty Conference on Riparian Ecosystems, and A Community on

Activity 3

Ecosystem Service Valuation Online toolkit - Launched the Ecosystem Valuation Toolkit Portal at Rio + 20, the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development. - Launched the www.esvaluation.org site to share information on ecosystem service valuation and to create visibility for the development of the online toolkit. This site served many visitors from 45 countries in its first six months of operation. - The initial application development work enabled Earth Economics to demo a working version of the tool set and value intake process at the ACES (A Community for Ecosystem Services) conference in December 2012. - Formed a formal Ecosystem Valuation Toolkit Technical Advisory Board and held quarterly meetings. - The toolkit received superior mention in several published papers and business guides.

Filer

EIN

20-1843411