Natural capital accounting on forested lands: An application to the Colorado River basin
USDA Forest Service, North Carolina State University, USDA ERS, U of Tennessee Knoxville
By: Travis Warziniack, Kenneth J. Bagstad, Michael Knowles, Christopher Mihiar, Arpita Nehra, Charles Rhodes, Leslie Sanchez, Christopher Sichko, and Charles B. Sims
Edited by: Nicholas Z. Muller, Eli P. Fenichel, and Mary Bohman
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Abstract
This paper creates a first set of forest natural capital accounts and demonstrates how these accounts can be integrated with general equilibrium models of the economy. Focusing on the Colorado River Basin, we show that deforestation has direct implications for the forest industry and indirect impacts on the economy through water treatment costs and carbon stock. 327,000 acres of forest are projected to be lost to development by 2100, representing a loss of 1.3 million tons of carbon stored in forests. The direct economic impacts associated with forest loss are estimated to be over $30 million, with $28 million of that coming directly from the value of lost carbon.
| Publication type | Conference Paper |
|---|---|
| Publication Subtype | Conference Paper |
| Title | Natural capital accounting on forested lands: An application to the Colorado River basin |
| Year Published | 2025 |
| Language | English |
| Publisher | University of Chicago Press |
| Contributing office(s) | Science and Decisions Center |
| Description | 24 p. |
| Larger Work Type | Book |
| Larger Work Subtype | Conference publication |
| Larger Work Title | Measuring and accounting for environmental public goods: A national accounts perspective |
| First page | 191 |
| Last page | 214 |