The value of improving freshwater ecosystem services: South Carolina residents' willingness to pay for improved water quality.

Riverine ecosystems play a crucial role in providing essential services such as drinking water, food, recreation, and other aquatic resources. Yet, their capacity to deliver ecosystem services is threatened by rapid land use which modifies their ecological functions. While freshwater monitoring and restoration programs became more robust with technological advancement, the technical ecosystem indicators monitored by experts do not typically resonate with the public. Since public sentiments and preferences are crucial in conservation planning, we quantified households' mean willingness to pay (WTP) for riverine ecosystem services in South Carolina (SC) using a payment card approach. This technique in conducting a contingent valuation method allowed us to estimate mean WTP for five aquatic indicators. Findings revealed that households' monthly mean WTP is higher for indicators that can enhance recreational benefits, such as fish catch ($5.89- $6.58), species richness ($6.28- $6.72) and access ($6.75) compared to IBI ($5.74- $6.26) and instream flow quality ($5.34-6.06). When extrapolated to entire SC, the improvement of each indicator would translate to total benefits ranging between $131 to $165 million annually. The values computed from this study could serve as inputs for the computation of benefit-cost ratios of proposed freshwater programs. By incorporating households' WTP in the policy analysis, decision makers can prioritize programs that offer the greatest public benefit, while enhancing freshwater quality across the state.

Valuing stakeholder preferences for environmental benefits of stormwater ponds: Evidence from choice experiment.

With population growth driving urban expansion in many cities in the United States, there is a need for a sustainable way to manage stormwater. Green stormwater infrastructure (GSI) is considered an innovative way to handle stormwater because of its potential to provide multiple ecosystem services (ES) beyond flooding reduction. However, there is limited research regarding the society's perceived value for GSI practices' co-benefits. This study utilized stated-preference data obtained from a choice experiment in an online survey of 1159 South Carolina (SC) residents to estimate a monetary value for the ES provided by wet detention ponds- the most widely adopted stormwater practice in coastal counties of SC. The benefits examined are flooding reduction, water quality, wildlife habitat, recreation, and scenic beauty. The data were analyzed using a Mixed logit formulation. Considering the differences across the state, the model was estimated separately for five counties. Findings indicate that residents are willing to pay $13.8 to $37.8 annually for a 50% improvement in pollutant removal efficiency of ponds in addition to their current stormwater fee. Also, they are willing to pay $12.5 to $42.9 per year for the nearest pond to have buffer vegetation and wildlife. They are also likely to pay $5 to $22.5 for ponds to contribute to their neighborhood's scenic beauty. Furthermore, the results indicate that respondents from three counties are willing to pay $5.4 to $13.2 for a 50% improvement in flooding reduction, while those from two counties are likely to pay $3.9 to $4.9 for ponds to have recreational benefits. The findings of the study could help stormwater managers in designing their stormwater management programs, especially for better evaluation of stormwater utility fees.

Using stakeholders' preference for ecosystems and ecosystem services as an economic basis underlying strategic conservation planning.

Ecosystem services (ES), commonly defined as the benefits people get from ecosystems, are key components in improving human well-being. However, as land utilization transitions from forest and agricultural land to urban areas and industrial complexes, the continuous provision of ES is affected. To ensure sustainable development, conservation programs should be implemented that consider both the stakeholders' well-being while also maintaining ecosystem health and integrity. Consequently, to improve the strategic implementation of conservation programs, it is critical to understand stakeholders' preferences. Using an online survey, we elicited South Carolina residents' preference in prioritizing the target ecosystems and ecosystem services in the state. The results identified that the priority ecosystem service is water quality regulation. However, the residents' preference for water quality regulation does not discredit the importance of maintaining the continuous water supply provision. In terms of ecosystem preference, residents indicated that the forest ecosystem is the priority ecosystem to be conserved, particularly for younger residents, respondents with high income, and those in the midland and the upstate. This could be attributed to the forest's effect on the ecosystem services that these respondents receive, particularly towards water-related ecosystem services. Understanding the residents' preference provides information that could improve the state water plans and other potential policy implications to land use-land cover planning and landscape sustainability management.