Communities throughout the world have grappled with the positive and negative impacts of tourism for years. Oregon State University’s (OSU) Sustainable Tourism Lab was created in 2021 to support such global destinations and help them pursue a sustainable path – inclusive of economic, community, and environmental perspectives. Our first step...
Salmon recovery requires restoration of spawning habitat to improve egg-to-smolt survival. Private lands play a crucial role. Funds for restoration are available from both federal appropriations and legal settlements for dam mitigation. Federal agencies responsible for recovery are often limited in their ability to work on private lands however, not...
The number of discussions about sustainable fisheries is increasing world-wide. The crisis in a lot of big fisheries, e.g. cod fishery on the Grand Banks, salmon fisheries along the pacific coast of the USA and Canada, must lead to different management regimes.
In the paper I describe different concepts for...
This essay provides a snapshot of sustainability and acceptability of wave energy and eight other electricity-generating energy sources in Oregon. Since “sustainability” is an important point of view in decision-making, the paper is centered around the concept. Although there is no consensus on the definition of sustainability in the academic...
Ecologically sound practices often cost landowners more than less environmentally friendly tactics. However, some consumers are willing to pay more for the assurance of production practices they value. Third-party certification is a way to acknowledge sustainable production practices beyond what is required by law.
The market for such products is...
This fact sheet series highlights innovative ways that family forest and ranch owners are prospering from protecting and enhancing ecosystem services on their land. Ecosystem services are the benefits people receive from nature like water quality, wildlife habitat, and carbon sequestration.
Fish recovery in rivers depends on sufficient instream flows to maintain water quality and habitat. In many areas, water rights for agriculture present direct competition for these flows, and “use it or lose it” water rights provide little flexibility to landowners who may be able to contribute unneeded rights.
An...
Landowners who want to restore and improve their land may be unsure of how to navigate the programs that are available to help them reach their goals. A ranch family in southern Oregon has tackled these barriers and successfully combined multiple projects, partners, and funding sources to improve ecological and...