Applied environmental economics for decisions that shape forests, water, and climate resilience.
The Ecosystem Values Lab advances decision-relevant economic analysis at the intersection of ecosystems, public investment, and risk. Our work focuses on how ecosystem services and natural capital enter real planning, budgeting, and investment decisions—particularly in forest and watershed systems facing climate and wildfire risk.
We partner across agencies, utilities, NGOs, and academic institutions to ensure economic insights are rigorous, transparent, and usable by decision-makers.
Our Research Areas
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Forests, Water, & Risk
Examines how forest conditions and management decisions influence drinking water reliability, treatment costs, and long-term risk, with applied economic analysis informing planning and investment choices for utilities and public agencies.
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Climate & Resilience Investments
Examines how nature-based and infrastructure investments reduce long-term climate risk, using economic analysis to inform resilience planning and capital allocation decisions.
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Ecosystem Services & Natural Capital
Examines how ecosystem services and natural capital are measured, interpreted, and incorporated into planning, budgeting, and investment decisions.
“We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.”
— Albert Einstein, Theoretical physicist
