Plan was developed to guide future research and institutional actions for improving ecological benefits assessments conducted by the Agency. The goal of an ecological benefits assessment is to estimate the benefits of an environmental policy, and when appropriate, estimate the value to society in monetary terms. This facilitates comparisons among policy alternatives to support decision-making. In practice however, ecological benefits are difficult to evaluate. Several factors contribute to this challenge, including limited understanding of: (1) The linkages among policies, stressors, and ecosystem services; (2) the linkages within and between ecosystems; and (3) the linkages between ecological and economic systems. EPA developed the Ecological Benefits Assessment Strategic Plan to improve our understanding of these linkages.

The Ecological Benefits Assessment Strategic Plan was authored by a cross-Agency workgroup under the general direction of a steering committee representing offices involved with ecological benefits assessment.


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