1. Cows and Fish
www.cowsandfish.org
Slide 1 ___________________________________
NATURAL CAPITAL
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS ON
REAL ESTATE VALUES &
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MARKETING
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April 2010
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Slide 2 ___________________________________
NATURAL CAPITAL (WHAT’S THAT?)
 Alberta’s natural resources ___________________________________
 Eg. grasslands, water, wild spaces, agricultural
lands, green spaces, wetlands
 Crucial to the viability of our economy
 “Nature as a barometer” ___________________________________
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Slide 3 ___________________________________
NATURAL CAPITAL (WHO CARES?)
Natural Capital Societal Benefit
Water supply, water filtration, flood
regulation, habitat, recreation
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Pollination, CO2 storage, food
production, soil formation
Food production, habitat, scenic
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Water supply, water filtration,
habitat, food production, recreation
Air quality, raw materials, habitat,
CO2 storage, soil formation ___________________________________
Scenic, CO2 storage, tourism, human
health
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2. Slide 4 LOSS OF NATURAL ___________________________________
CAPITAL
 Degraded water quality
 Increased water
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treatment costs
 Habitat loss (fish and
aquatic species)
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Slide 5 LOSS OF NATURAL ___________________________________
CAPITAL
 Increased flood risks
 Increased insurance
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costs
 Decreased property
values
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Slide 6 LOSS OF NATURAL ___________________________________
CAPITAL
 Decreased agricultural
production ___________________________________
 Loss of land
 Decreased water storage
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3. Slide 7 ___________________________________
VALUING NATURAL CAPITAL
 “Treemendous Values”
 Home values next to protected riparian corridors ___________________________________
increase 6% to 32% (3 studies)
 Parks & green space added as much as $11,000 to
the value of adjacent properties (Surrey, BC)
 Each % increase in tree cover added $784 to the
property value, with the average value of tree canopy
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across 600 sites is $20,226 or 10.7% of the sale (Ohio)
 Houses abutting or looking into areas of urban
natural capital resell faster
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Slide 8 ___________________________________
ASSESSING PROXIMATE VALUE OF PARKS & OPEN
SPACE TO RESIDENTIAL PROPERTIES IN ALBERTA
 6 Alberta towns/cities
 Proximate premiums ___________________________________
range from high of over
15% to low of less than
1%
High premium parks
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combine well managed ___________________________________
stormwater features,
with a view & privacy
 Low premium parks are
smaller, active parks (eg.
playgrounds/sports ___________________________________
fields) associated with
noise & privacy intrusion
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Slide 9 ___________________________________
ASSESSING PROXIMATE VALUE OF PARKS & OPEN
SPACE TO RESIDENTIAL PROPERTIES IN ALBERTA
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“Sherwood Park lots that command the highest
assessment (proximate) premiums are those
with views overlooking a wetland” ___________________________________
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4. Slide 10 ___________________________________
VALUING NATURAL CAPITAL – IN ALBERTA
 City of Edmonton
 53% higher median house price for single detached ___________________________________
homes located near the North Saskatchewan River;
21% higher for apartments (2006)
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Slide 11 VALUING NATURAL CAPITAL – IN ALBERTA ___________________________________
CITY OF EDMONTON RIVER VALLEY
Low Estimate High Estimate
Service Ecosystem
Millions
Air quality / Forest $4.2 $156.0 ___________________________________
filtration:
Water quality / Wetlands / riparian $0.1 $0.4
purification areas
Stormwater Forest $66.9 $66.9
management
Erosion control Forest $4.9 $4.9
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Carbon Forest, shrubland, $7.1 $35.5
sequestration grassland
Pest control Valley $0.8 $0.8
Total $84.0 $264.5
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Slide 12 ___________________________________
VALUING NATURAL CAPITAL
 “Treemendous Savings”
 Forested neighborhoods (min ___________________________________
40% forested canopy) save
homeowners at least 4% in
heating costs in the winter
and 10% on cooling costs in
the summer ___________________________________
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5. Slide 13 ___________________________________
VALUING NATURAL CAPITAL
 “Treemendous Benefits”


Increased tax revenue
Decrease water treatment facility costs / upgrades
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Decrease costs associated with flooding
 Decreased noise levels
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Slide 14 ___________________________________
VALUING NATURE - WETLANDS
 Water Treatment & Flood Control ___________________________________
Savings:
 SFU study: value of intact lower Fraser River
Valley wetlands in BC at 230 million/year in saved
infrastructure costs
 Permanent plant cover reduce H20 treatment
costs:
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 $5.60/hectare/yr saved for sediment filtration
 $23.50/hectare/yr saved for phosphorus filtration
Grand River watershed, ON
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 Flood damage costs fall by ~20% when cultivated
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ag lands converted to permanent cover
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Slide 15 ___________________________________
VALUING NATURE - WETLANDS
 New York City – paid ~ $1.8 billion to private ___________________________________
landowners to protect roughly 70,000 acres in
the Catskills watershed
 saved the city nearly $8 billion in capital
outlays for the development of a new water ___________________________________
filtration plant, as well as additional $200 -
$300 million per year in operating costs.
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6. Slide 16 ___________________________________
NATURAL CAPITAL – AT THE LAKE
 Protection of water quality – good for
fish, fewer algal blooms, improved ___________________________________
recreational opportunities
 Wildlife habitat and viewing
opportunities
 Public safety – swimming, fishing ___________________________________
 Improved protection from water level
fluctuations & flood
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Slide 17 NATURAL CAPITAL – ON
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THE FARM
 Local food security
 Viable agricultural industry
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 Pasture productivity
 Clean water
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Slide 18 ___________________________________
NATURAL CAPITAL – IN THE CITY
 Access to recreation
 Proximity promotes exercise
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 Decrease to health care costs
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7. Slide 19 ___________________________________
NATURAL CAPITAL – IN THE CITY
 Boost to local economy
 Attract business and residents
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 Good parks encourage tourism
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Slide 20 ___________________________________
WHAT’S A WETLAND WORTH?
 Value of world’s ecosystem services and natural
capital = US $16 to 54 trillion ___________________________________
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Slide 21 ___________________________________
WHAT’S A WETLAND WORTH?
 $430 million = value of wetland ecosystem
services associated with nutrient removal and
carbon sequestration lost between 1968 and 2005 ___________________________________
as a result of wetland drainage in Manitoba.
 $15 million = cost to replace the ecosystem
services lost in Manitoba in 2005
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8. Slide 22 ___________________________________
 In Canada we have “national economic accounts” whose
sum = Gross National Product
 Where are the “national ecological accounts” to define, ___________________________________
measure & track ecological activities, whose sum =
Gross National Waste
 Preston Manning, National Stewardship & Conservation Conference,
2009, Calgary, AB
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Slide 23 ___________________________________
NATURAL CAPITAL:
HEALTH EQUALS WEALTH ___________________________________
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Slide 24 ___________________________________
WHAT IS ECOLOGICAL HEALTH?
 Health = properly
functioning condition ___________________________________
 Ability of a lake, wetland,
creek or river to perform
ecological functions (building
habitat, forage, shelter,
filtering water)
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 Indicators to health (eg.
amphibians, vegetation,
water quality)
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9. Slide 25 WHAT DOES ECOLOGICAL HEALTH LOOK
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LIKE?
 GREEN is not always GOOD
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Slide 26 ___________________________________
KEY CHARACTERISTICS OF HEALTH
 Vegetation – mix short, medium, tall
Very few weeds (dandelion, thistle)

 Generally shrubs (willows), sometimes trees, plus
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other grasses, cattails, wildflowers.
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Slide 27 Contact Us ___________________________________
Kelsey Spicer-Rawe, Riparian Specialist
Cows and Fish
Red Deer/Airdrie
403-340-7693
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kspicer@cowsandfish.org
Kerri O’Shaughnessy, Riparian Specialist
Cows and Fish
Edmonton
780-720-8289
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koshaugh@cowsandfish.org
Norine Ambrose, Program Manager
Cows and Fish
Lethbridge ___________________________________
403-381-5538
nambrose@cowsandfish.org
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10. Slide 28 Contact Us ___________________________________
Amanda Halawell, Riparian/Range Specialist
Cows and Fish
Calgary
403-275-4400
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abogen@cowsandfish.org
Kathryn Hull, Riparian/Range Specialist
Cows and Fish
Calgary
403-275-4400
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khull@cowsandfish.org
Michael Gerrand, Riparian Specialist
Cows and Fish
Lethbridge/Pincher Creek ___________________________________
403-627-3412
mgerrand@cowsandfish.org
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Slide 29 Contact Us ___________________________________
www.cowsandfish.org
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• publications / factsheets
• riparian health checklists
• community stewardship ideas
• digital stories / videos ___________________________________
• donations
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Slide 30 Cows and Fish References ___________________________________
All available from:
www.cowsandfish.org/publications ___________________________________
1. Caring for the Green Zone – Riparian Areas and
Grazing Management
2. Caring for the Green Zone – A User’s Guide to
Health
3. Riparian Health Checklist – Lakes & Wetlands,
Creeks & Steams
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4. Crops, Creeks & Sloughs
5. Value of Wetlands
6. Protecting Shorelines & Streambanks Naturally
7. Growing Restoration – Natural Fixes to Fortify
Streambanks ___________________________________
8. Biodiversity and Riparian Areas – Life in the
Green Zone
9. Water Quality and Riparian Areas
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11. Slide 31 Quick References ___________________________________
1. Green Communities Guide – Land Stewardship
Centre of Canada (www.landstewardship.org)
2. Green Among the Concrete – Canada West
Foundation (www.cwf.ca)
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3. Conservation: An Investment that Pays: The
Economic Benefit of Parks and Open Space –
The Trust for Public Land (USA) (www.tpl.org)
4. The Montana Watercourse -
(www.mtwatercourse.org)
5. Natural Values: Linking the Environment to
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the Economy. Factsheet #13: Urban Natural
Capital – Ducks Unlimited Canada
(www.ducks.ca)
6. Urban Forest Values: Economic Benefits of
Trees in Cities – University of Washington ___________________________________
(www.cfr.washington.edu/research/envmind)
7. Room to Roam – Montana
(www.montana.edu/setback/)
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Slide 32 Quick References ___________________________________
8. Centre for Watershed Protection (USA)
(www.cwp.org)
9. Heritage Hills Wetland Project – Strathcona
County (www.strathcona.ab.ca)
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10. Valuation of Tree Canopy on Property Values of
Six Communities in Cincinatti, Ohio. Dimke,
Kelly C. (www.etd.ohiolink.edu)
11. Riparian Areas Generate Property Value
Premiums for Landowners – University of
Arizona. Colby & Wishart.
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12. Caring for Shoreline Properties – Alberta
Conservation Association
(www.ab-conservation.com)
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