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- Info
The state of the nation's ecosystems: Measuring the lands, waters, and living resources of the United States [Summary and highlights]
| Author: |
The H. John Heinz III Center for Science, Economics, and the Environment |
| Date: |
2002 |
| Periodical: |
New York, NY: Cambridge University Press. 24 p. |
| Link: |
http://www.heinzctr.org/NEW_WEB/PDF/Heinz Summary Final.pdf
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| Abstract: |
The State of the Nations Ecosystems provides a way to 'take the pulse' of America's lands and waters and living resources. It identifies what should be measured, counted, and reported so that decision makers and the public can understand the changes that are occurring on the American landscape, set priorities for action, and see whether we are achieving our environmental goals. Having identified a crucial set of ecosystem characteristics, the report uses the best available national data to describe these characteristics. Where such data are not available, the report clearly specifies what is needed to fill the gap. The State of the Nations Ecosystemsand future volumes in this serieswill be valuable tools for environmental decision makers at all levels and in all sectors of society. The report will also provide Americans with a new way of looking at and talking about ecosystems that will help them evaluate the potential, and actual, effects of both public and private management decisions. Such reporting wont eliminate deeply held differences over environmental policy, but it will provide a common yardstick for measuring the effectiveness of our policies and setting future priorities. |
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