A Metro mapping program lets property owners determine if they are in an area slated for future development.
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MONTEVIDEO, Mar 10 (IPS) - "Nature is wise, and if we take the time to observe it, we can learn so much" is the underlying philosophy of a number of innovative programmes being carried out in Uruguayan schools that are using gardens as a teaching resource, explained Edith Moraes, director of the national Primary Education Board.
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http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/120749424/abstract

Abstract: River restoration is a widespread phenomenon. This reflects strong public values for conservation, though missing are studies explicitly justifying restoration expenditures. Public restoration benefits are not well quantified, nor are public preferences among diverse activities falling into the broad category "restoration." Our study estimates public values for restoration on the Middle Rio Grande, New Mexico. Stakeholder meetings and public focus groups guided development of a restoration survey mailed to Albuquerque area households. Four restoration categories were defined: fish and wildlife; vegetation density; tree type; and natural river processes. Survey responses supplied data for both choice experiment (CE) and contingent valuation (CV) analyses, two established environmental economics techniques for quantifying public benefits of conservation policies. Full restoration benefits are estimated at over $150 per household per year via the CE and at nearly $50 per household per year via CV. The CE allows value disaggregation among different restoration categories. The most highly valued category was tree type, meaning reestablishing native tree dominance for such species as Cottonwood (Populus deltoides) and eradicating non-native trees such as Saltcedar (Tamarix ramosissma). The high public values we have found for restoration offer economic justification for intensive riparian management, particularly native plant-based restoration in the Southwest.

by Matthew A Weber and Steven Stewart; both of Department of Hydrology and Water Resources, SAHRA, Marshall Building 5th Floor, PO Box 210158-B, Tucson, AZ 85721-0158, U.S.A.; email: maweber@hwr.arizona.edu
Restoration Ecology via Wiley InterScience www3.interscience.wiley.com
November, 2009; Volume 17, Issue 6; pages 762

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