February 21, 2007

Law and Policy for Ecosystem Services

Ecosystem services are increasingly recognized as a useful construct in environmental policy and regulation. Ecosystem services facilitate long-term, holistic planning and decisionmaking and are understood as the basis for proper management of natural resources. Environmental law and policy professionals are beginning to advise their clients on the connections between ecosystem services and clients’ operations and also the various economic and policy valuations that will increasingly be brought to bear on these clients’ activities from this new paradigm of ecosystem services.

This panel addressed the current state of law and policy for ecosystem services; the follow-on from the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment; innovative state regulatory efforts; and law practitioners’ attention to and advice regarding ecosystem services.

Moderator:
Ira Feldman, President, Greentrack Strategies

Panelists:
Dr. Tundi Agardy, Millennium Ecosystem Assessment and Executive Director, Sound Seas
J.B. Ruhl, Professor, Florida State College of Law
Bob Donaghue, Director, Pollution Prevention Assistance Division, GA. Dept. of Natural Resources
Richard S. Davis, Beveridge & Diamond
Janet Ranganathan, Director of People and Ecosystems, World Resources Institute