Economic Importance of Healthy Alaska Ecosystems

Abstract

Alaska's healthy ecosystems are scarce and valuable economic resources. As population, income, education and development pressures increase worldwide, the relative scarcity -- and hence the value -- of these ecosystems is almost certain to increase significantly. However, because most ecosystem services are provided as public goods rather than through private markets, the value of these services must be registered and acted on within the public policy arena. this report presents an itiial assessment of the economic importance of Alaska's ecosystesm in their unimpaired state.