Protecting Forests and Clean Drinking Water along Lake St. Clair
People need forests. They make our oxygen, clean our water, limit flooding, and absorb carbon. They evoke mental well-being and are part of our cultural identities. Protecting the ecosystem services that forests and other invaluable biotic communities provide is integral to our future. Often, we can take for granted the significance of what forested ecosystems contribute to our region. Enter this under recognized niche, are the scientists and economists who are translating the functions of ecosystems into a more comprehensible currency. A 2009 study by Earth Economics found that every year, the Nisqually Watershed provides between $288 million and $4.2
