Part V
Applications of Study Findings
Section Summary: Economies depend upon ecosystem goods and services, and become weakened when regional ecosystems are degraded. The long-term health of the Puyallup Watershed and the Puget Sound region depends upon our ability to make wise choices and investments that increase the productive capacity of the watershed’s natural capital. Recommendations on how to understand and positively apply the results of this study are designated in bold text below.
Investing in the Future The term “investment” describes the choices people make today to place resources for returns in the future. An economy is the product of previous decades of investment. Future generations will benefit or suffer from the choices made today. When Tacoma Public Utilities invested in a 43-mile pipeline from the Green River Watershed and a subsequent watershed protection program, its leaders were considering not only the short-term costs and benefits of natural water filtration but also the longterm investment. In hindsight, this investment has vastly increased in both production and monetary value over time. The substantial economic value currently being generated in the Puyallup Watershed demonstrates that nature is an investment worth maintaining. While the watershed’s economy is already closely intertwined with its natural foundations, much can be done to further account for the natural goods and services that are produced for greater overall wellbeing in this Whole Economy. As ecosystems in the Puyallup Watershed become fragmented and more scarce, it is imperative to consider both the retention (conservation) and the restoration of these systems as a key investment in the future economy as supported by green infrastructure.
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The Puyallup River Watershed: An Ecological Economic Characterization