Buying and Selling Ecological Services: A Proposal for the Texas Gulf Coast Jim Blackburn SSPEED Center Rice University Work Supported by Grants From Houston Endowment and National Fish and Wildlife Foundation

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Buying and Selling Ecological Services A
Proposal for the Texas Gulf CoastJim
BlackburnSSPEED CenterRice UniversityWork
Supported by Grants From Houston Endowment and
National Fish and Wildlife Foundation
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Hurricane Ike

• Category 2
• 24 billion in damages
• 4th costliest in U.S. History
• 112 deaths
• 2.6 million lost power

Hurricane Ike Chinese FY1-D MVISR September 12,
2008 at 618 PM CDT
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CEQs Proposed National Objectives, Principles,
and Standards for Water and Related Resources
Implementation Studies

• Protect and restore natural ecosystems and the
  environment while encouraging sustainable
  economic development.
• Avoid unwise use of floodplains, flood-prone
  areas and other ecologically valuable areas.
• Give full and equal treatment to nonstructural
  approaches.

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Mississippi Coastal Improvements Program After
Katrina
Dr. Susan Rees, Mobile District Unlikely to
See a Totally Structural Hurricane Abatement
Implemented in Todays Funding and Evaluation
Climate
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The Federal Debt Reaches Historical High
CBO forecast - end of 2010, federal debt will be
62 of GDP.
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Original Landfall
GIS UT Dr. Clint Dawson
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Ike Surge Flowing Back Into Gulf
4 Days After Landfall
Excellent Flood Storage
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Photo Bryan Carlile
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Galveston Bay Coastal Protection System
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Possible Economic Concepts For Non-structural
Mitigation

1. Recreation/Eco-Tourism
2. Natural Resource Value Trading Concept

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Day Recreation Usage Development of Backside
of Peninsula
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Proposed Lone Star Coastal National Recreation
Area
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Possible Economic Concepts For Non-structural
Mitigation

1. Recreation/Eco-Tourism
2. Natural Resource Value Trading Concept

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100-Year Storm Surge Levels
Slide Courtesy Hal Needham, Louisiana State
University
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Spartina Alterniflora and Other Coastal Wetland
Plants Define Resiliency Learn From
It Embrace It Emulate It Develop Resilient
Economy
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Natural Resource Value Trading System

• Based on Experience in Regulatory-Based Systems
• Corps of Engineers Wetland Mitigation Banks
• U.S.F.W.S. Endangered Species Offset Concepts
• 303(d) Water Quality Programs for Nutrients and
  Temperature in Chesapeake Bay and Willamette
  Valley
• Emerging Carbon Markets

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Conceptual Natural Resource Value Trading System
Buyers
Trading Platform
Sellers

Flood Storage Conservation of Existing
Habitat Neo-tropical Migrant Habitat
Creation Coastal Wetland Creation/Migration Migrat
ory Waterfowl Habitat Creation Prairie Habitat
Creation Forest Lands Habitat Creation Carbon
Sequestration Endangered Species Habitat
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Potential Buyers

• Flood Control
• U.S. Army Corps Non Structural
• FEMA Value Proposition
• Philanthropic
• USFWF (BP )
• Private Foundations
• Corporate
• Zero Footprint Initiatives
• Carbon Offsets
• Other Mitigation
• Ecological Gift Market

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Potential Sellers

• Private Landowner Flood Storage At Key
  Elevations
• Private Landowner Carbon Farmer
• Private Landowner Wetland Habitat Owner and/or
  Creator
• Private Landowner Prairie Habitat Owner and/or
  Creator
• Private Landowner Neotropical Habitat Owner
  and/or Creator
• Private Landowner - Forest Habitat Owner and/or
  Creator

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Contact Me

• jbb_at_blackburncarter.com
• blackbur_at_rice.edu