Market Forces and Performance Enhancing Policies

In recent years, growers, landowners and consumers have been inundated with talk of how ecosystem service markets can improve environmental quality and provide cash flow. While producers and consumers of these services need information to evaluate their potential benefits and costs, there is a lack of unbiased information on this topic. To help policymakers, stakeholders and the general public better understand the potential for these markets, MAWP members have been working to break down the concept of ecosystem services into its components, enumerate the potential benefits and pitfalls of these markets, and demonstrate that water quality goals can be achieved within a reasonable time frame.

Through personal consultation and development of educational resources, this group aims to provide policy and program staff with the tools and information they need to incorporate market-based methodologies into their policies/regulations, advance water quality beyond traditional policy and program design, and increase cost efficiency of water quality improvement efforts.

Activities

State Contacts
Doug Parker, MD (Project Lead)
Charlie Abdalla and John Becker, PA
Alan Collins, WV
Kurt Stephenson, VA