Issue Briefs

The World Resources Institute has created a new series of issue briefs that explore incentives for ensuring that southern U.S. forests continue to supply the timber, water, recreation, and other benefits—known as “ecosystem services”—that people depend upon.

Keeping Forest as Forest: Incentives for the U.S. South

Overview:
This issue brief provides an overview of incentives, markets, and practices — collectively called “measures” — that can promote conservation and sustainable management in the forests of the southern United States. These measures fall into five major categories: land use instruments, fiscal incentives, liability limitations, market incentives, and education/capacity building. With such measures in place, these forests could continue to supply needed ecosystem services and the native biodiversity that underpins these benefits.

Intended Audience:
Conservation and land use professionals, decision makers, and concerned citizens.

Gaining Ground: Increasing Conservation Easements in the U.S. South

Overview:
This issue brief provides an overview of the current status of conservation easements in the U.S. South relative to the rest of the United States and how easement use can be increased.

Forests for Carbon: Exploring Forest Carbon Offsets in the U.S. South

Overview:
This issue brief explores forest carbon offsets in the context of the southern United States. It is intended as an introductory resource for southern woodland owners, nongovernmental organizations active in the region, offset project developers, and other forest carbon offset market stakeholders.

Intended Audience:
Southern woodland owners, nongovernmental organizations active in the region, offset project developers, and other forest carbon offset market stakeholders

Current Use Valuation Programs: Property Tax Incentives for Preserving Local Benefits of Forests

Overview:
This issue brief explores current use valuation programs as one tool for conserving and fostering sustainable management of southern U.S. forests under private ownership. The brief identifies key constraints on existing programs and suggests measures that could be implemented to enhance program effectiveness.

Funding for Forests: The Potential of Public Ballot Measures

Overview: This issue brief explores the potential of conservation-related ballot measures as a tool to protect forests. It defines conservation-related ballot measures, summarizes their nationwide track record, assesses their application in the Southern United States, and makes recommendations to increase their utilization in the South in the future.

Intended Audience:
Conservation and land use professionals, decision makers, and concerned citizens.

Forests at Work: A New Model for Local Land Protection

Overview:
This issue brief provides an overview of how public land, including forestland, can be “put to work” to earn revenue from one or more ecosystem service market opportunities. Working forest revenue sources include sustainable timber production, recreation and hunting fees, and – to the extent that management activities enhance environmental quality – payments for carbon sequestration, endangered species habitats, and/or water quality.

Intended Audience:
Local public officials who are interested in a more cost-effective approach to acquiring and managing public forestland.

Forests for Water: Exploring Payments for Watershed Services in the U.S. South

Overview:
The issue brief provides an overview of how businesses and water utilities in the United States and Latin America are pursuing upstream forest conservation as a cost-effective means of ensuring clean water supplies. It also suggests how many of these approaches could be applicable in the southern United States.

Intended Audience:
Local public officials (especially at the county and municipal levels) and downstream water users like public utilities and bottling companies.