“ Whether ( a ranch ) was really the right investment depends on whether the flow of ( environmental benefits ) would have ( been lost ) if we hadn ’ t spent the money ,” says Lynn Huntsinger , professor of rangeland ecology and management at UC Berkeley and one of three scientists who led the study .
For example , if a ranch would never be developed — even without a conservation easement — because it lacks water or the land is too steep or is located too far from significant population , Huntsinger says , then a conservation easement would not show a good return on investment on that property .
Huntsinger and her colleagues evaluated three scenarios to determine whether a property would have been developed or not and calculated return on investment . They looked at the highest and best use determined by an appraiser , the county ’ s general plan that identifies if a property is in a region slated for development and if the property was planned to be fully
developed , wiping out its environmental benefits .
The greater the development , the greater the loss of environmental benefits , the greater the return on investment for properties under conservation easements . Under the three scenarios , the county ’ s general plan allowing for maximum development under current zoning was most applicable to California , returning $ 3.47 per dollar invested for all California Rangeland Trust easements .
While the value of environmental benefits is in the billions , it could be a conservative figure . Huntsinger says some environmental benefits from working lands — such as fire suppression and the value of grazing — weren ’ t included in the study because there ’ s no available data on their monetized value .
With record-breaking fires scorching the West Coast this year , fire suppression is critical to California ’ s future . Huntsinger says much of California ’ s grasslands contain nonnative vegetation and are larger , denser , thicker and more flammable , and grazing offers a safe , viable option to reduce fuel loads .
While the study leverages scientific evidence to encourage policymakers to refocus on conserving agricultural lands , Delbar thinks it will also raise awareness among those who drive through open land and appreciate what they see .
“ It ’ s telling the story of what all is there besides that open space ,” says Delbar . “ How all these services provided by these working lands are so valuable , but for a person ( who ’ s ) not in the livestock or ranching business , ( he or she ) may not realize that there ’ s more to it than just open fields .”
Jennifer Junghans is interim special sections editor of Comstock ’ s . She holds degrees in biological sciences and horticulture and writes about food systems , wildlife and conservation . More at jenniferjunghans . com .
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