The assumption that natural areas are valuable only when used for logging, grazing, drilling or other development leads to biased decisions that favor development over preservation, says the author of a report on New Mexico’s roadless areas.
The state’s 1.6 million acres of roadless national forests and more than 100,000 acres in Valle Vidal in northern New Mexico generate tens of millions of dollars a year in the economic benefits of clean water, outdoor recreation and forests that absorb carbon dioxide, according to the study commissioned by a Santa Fe-based environmental group, Forest Guardians.
Environmentalists contend the study released Monday supports their argument for permanent protection for roadless areas in national forests.
The state has petitioned the Bush administration to protect all of New Mexico’s roadless national forest areas and the Valle Vidal.
A federal judge in California earlier this month reinstated a Clinton-era ban on road construction on 58.5 million acres in 38 states and Puerto Rico. The Bush administration had replaced the “Roadless Rule” in May 2005 with a requirement that governors petition the federal government to protect national forests in their states.
The court ruling came a week after a task force forwarded recommendations to Gov. Bill Owens to preserve most of the 4.4 million acres of roadless areas in Colorado’s national forests.
A spokesman said Owens planned to review the recommendations and additional input he had received, with the intention of filing a petition with the U.S. Forest Service in November as planned.
In New Mexico, the Forest Guardian’s report concluded that economic benefits from roadless areas include $42 million annually in water quality benefits from 530,000 acre-feet of clean water flowing from road less land.
The study said the economy reaps $22 million to $24 million associated with absorption of carbon dioxide that otherwise would remain in the atmosphere and exacerbate global warming.
It also said recreational use that doesn’t depend on motorized vehicles generates $27 million.
The study was led by John Talberth, senior economist with the Center for Sustainable Economy of Santa Fe. He said his research team, which included economists from the University of New Mexico, used various techniques to quantify the value of roadless areas.
For benefits such as water quality, researchers considered the cost of replacing natural processes. Talberth said they looked, for example, at the cost of replacing the natural water filtration of a wild area with a technological substitute such as a water filtration plant.
In some cases, he said, researchers estimated the value of nontimber commodities such as piñon nuts or mushrooms; in others they tried to measure what hunters or anglers might be willing to pay to protect the land they use.
Denver Post staff writer Steve Lipsher contributed to this report.
