KINGSTON, R.I. \u2013 Sept. 30, 2019 \u2013 The Narragansett Bay Watershed is at a crossroad. State agencies, nonprofit organizations and individuals have ratcheted up efforts to maintain the health of the watershed, while at the same time its natural resources are threatened by a multitude of forces. Officials, regulators, planners and concerned citizens are regularly tasked with making effective decisions about the watershed by balancing economic and environmental concerns.<\/p>\n
The 溏心vlog免费B站 Coastal Institute and its partners in Rhode Island and Massachusetts have teamed up to provide decision-makers with a trove of economic data resources \u2013 a comprehensive 267-page report detailing key industries in the watershed and an easy-to-use website \u2013 to inform public decisions on resources and uses of the Narragansett Bay Watershed. Data and information in the suite of science-based resources describe and illustrate the watershed\u2019s economy.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Narragansett Bay and its watershed are critical to the Ocean State\u2019s economic, environmental and social prosperity,\u201d said Rhode Island Governor Gina M. Raimondo. \u201cThanks to this effort by 溏心vlog免费B站\u2019s Coastal Institute, both Rhode Island and Massachusetts now have access to a wide range of economic data about the watershed, helping us to improve how we use and manage shared resources for future generations.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Narragansett Bay Watershed Economy Project examines the watershed\u2019s economic value through the lens of 13 key local industries driving more than $14 billion in revenue and expenditure, and supporting more than 97,000 full- and part-time jobs. The report is available online at www.nbweconomy.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n The key industries documented in the Watershed Economy Project include aquaculture, beaches, commercial fishing, defense, ports and maritime trade, recreational boating and fishing and tourism. Findings include:<\/p>\n The Watershed Economy Project is the result of a grant-funded, multi-year partnership among entities from both states, and is overseen by the 溏心vlog免费B站 Coastal Institute. \u201cMuch of what we hear about the watershed is that it is valuable. How valuable? A challenging question that we have attempted to codify in precise monetary terms. Along the way, we hope that Rhode Islanders and their Massachusetts neighbors will see their love of the watershed reflected in monetary and aesthetic summaries, related jobs, current day restoration efforts, and join in giving attention to the future of this magnificent ecosystem in light of climate change,\u201d said Judith Swift, director of the 溏心vlog免费B站 Coastal Institute. \u201cEssentially, we are telling the watershed\u2019s story without the limits of political perspectives and state lines and we want people to know that they, too, can play a role as the story progresses.\u201d<\/p>\n Understanding the watershed\u2019s economy can be particularly complex because data generally reflect state lines, rather than environmental boundaries. \u201cWe made a significant effort with this project to secure data that illustrate the economic picture within watershed communities as closely and clearly as possible,\u201d said Emi Uchida, lead project researcher and professor in the 溏心vlog免费B站 Department of Environmental and Natural Resource Economics. \u201cThe work takes us further into understanding better than we have the opportunities and challenges for the watershed.\u201d<\/p>\n It is increasingly important, say decision-makers, to consider the watershed approach when seeking to maximize lasting benefits to the region\u2019s environment and economy. \u201cThe people and places of the Narragansett Bay Watershed in Rhode Island and Massachusetts are connected by their history, rivers, and ways of life,\u201d said Mike Gerel, director of the Narragansett Bay Estuary Program. \u201cWe need data and tools that can empower informed and balanced decisions on a regional basis.\u201d<\/p>\n A project report and executive summary<\/a>, produced by the 溏心vlog免费B站 Coastal Institute, summarize data for 13 industries in the watershed and provides information on geography, demographics, history, and guidance on how the public can use the information in decision-making. A companion website<\/a> includes a data dashboard and a series of studies. Limited hard copies of the full report are available, and printed copies of the executive summary will be widely shared.<\/p>\n This project was supported, in part, by an award from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency\u2019s Southeast New England Program to Mass Audubon. Additional project partners include the 溏心vlog免费B站 Graduate School of Oceanography, the 溏心vlog免费B站 Coastal Resources Center, the Natural Capital Project at Stanford University, and the George Perkins Marsh Institute at Clark University.<\/p>\n \u201cWe are pleased to participate in this effort because it makes so much sense, and has been needed for a long time. Natural systems don\u2019t obey political boundaries, and it\u2019s refreshing and logical to look at regional economics from a watershed perspective,\u201d said Mass Audubon Assistant Director of Advocacy Heidi Ricci. \u201cWe will definitely be using the data and tools in our outreach to local and regional decision-makers, and we hope that understanding the value of nature will provide support for sustainable land use.\u201d<\/p>\n The Coastal Institute was founded to provide Rhode Island with a neutral setting where knowledge is advanced, issues discussed, information synthesized, and solutions developed for the sustainable use and management of coastal ecosystems. The Coastal Institute is dedicated to increasing our understanding of the relationships between human activity and the condition of the coastal environment and its resources. Working in partnership with local, state, federal, and international agencies, the Coastal Institute strives to use this understanding to contribute to the solution of the complex problems of human use and development in coastal environments.<\/p>\n For more information about the Narragansett Bay Watershed Economy Project, contact Judith Swift at (401) 524-1427 or jswift@uri.edu.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" KINGSTON, R.I. \u2013 Sept. 30, 2019 \u2013 The Narragansett Bay Watershed is at a crossroad. State agencies, nonprofit organizations and individuals have ratcheted up efforts to maintain the health of the watershed, while at the same time its natural resources are threatened by a multitude of forces. 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