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Valuing the Nature of MaineA Bibliography of Publications Detailing the Economic Role of Maine's Woods, Waters, and Wildlife
Introduction About the Bibliography Using the Bibliography Acknowledgements
IntroductionMaine's economy is fundamentally based on the very nature of the state; its vast tracts of woodland, productive farms, rich coastal waters, hard-working and resourceful people, abundant wildlife, and dramatic scenery. Natural resource-dependent businesses provide nearly 25% of Maine's paychecks (Benson 1994) and create an economic force stimulating many other businesses in the state. Although natural resource products and industries have changed over the years, sustaining the resource base for diversity and growth will continue to be essential to Maine's economic health. The Second Paycheck In addition to revenues, Maine's natural resources provide other benefits that one economist calls a "second paycheck" (Whitelaw 1989). This paycheck provides a quality of life above and beyond what is earned and spent: access to beautiful natural areas, stable and safe communities, outdoor recreation opportunities and proximity to wildlife. At the end of a day, during lunch hour, or on the weekend, Maine residents can collect one of the most sought after employee benefits an economy could deliver, the opportunity to claim Maine's woods, waters, and wildlife as a backyard bonus. This bonus retains qualified labor essential for business growth and it attracts talented workers every day. A major reason people move to Maine (and why Mainers return) is the opportunity to enjoy our natural resources. These "second paycheck" values, though difficult to measure, are essential to our economic well being. Legitimate Issues Given the values provided by our natural resources, creating public policy that sustains and improves this resource base might seem like an easy process. Obviously it is not. Sand dunes compete with real estate pressures. Budget cuts reduce state park staffing. Wetlands protection affects landowners' timber harvesting goals. Rural residents question the local value of proposed conservation lands that might leave their tax rolls. Hydroelectric producers worry about flow requirements that allocate water for fisheries and recreation. The path through this maze of competing demands has been confusing and filled with conflict, a conflict often characterized as a choice between jobs and the environment. Jobs Versus the Environment Framing state priorities and funding decisions based on the jobs-or-the-environment conflict has been a disservice to those who wrestle with natural resource issues and an insult to those who make their living either directly or indirectly from our environment. Part of what is needed to avoid this oversimplified debate is broader information on the economic values provided by our natural resources. If people concerned with the future of our natural resources have broader information about their value, perhaps the challenge of how to allocate scarce public funding to regulate and manage our environment better could be guided by more realistic priorities. With this information it would be possible to create both economic and environmental policy that answers a more relevant question: how do we both sustain and enhance our natural resource base so that it can deliver long-term revenues and other benefits to our state? Removing Barriers Maine's natural resources are revenue and job generators, from the woodlot delivering trees to sawmills, to the river delivering recreational paddlers to tourism business owners; from the estuary that functions as a nursery for commercial fisheries, to the environmental engineers hired to help industry reduce emissions and capture byproducts. Information describing the many different ways Maine's woods, waters, and wildlife contribute to the state's economy is difficult to find, primarily focused on a few highly visible industries, and often incomplete. This bibliography attempts to gather references that discuss the economic value of Maine's woods, waters, and wildlife into one document. By broadening the understanding of natural resource values and the human aspect of environmental quality, we hope to enhance our ability to plan for the future of Maine's natural resources. Economics, Environment, and Livelihood Decisions affecting the fate of our natural resources are made far from those who actually depend on those resources for income. A lobster fisherman, white water outfitter, fishing guide, factory owner or the thousands of other people who depend on the quality of our natural resources for their paychecks depend on a clear understanding of the relationship between their livelihood and wise environmental stewardship. People involved in planning, protecting, managing and regulating the use of our natural resources already expect to be given biological and technical data, to discuss wildlife habitat or the chemical components of a factory's discharge. But more is needed. This bibliography was created to provide access to another vital area of information: the broad economic role played by Maine's woods, waters and wildlife.
About The BibliographY
The bibliography lists books, journal articles, state and federal government reports, research papers, conference findings, publications from non-profit organizations and university reports. The references are organized into eight sections; Recreation and Tourism, Forest Products, Marine Products, Real Estate Values, Valuation, Environmental Regulation, Agriculture, and Other. Publications that are relevant to more than one category may appear several times throughout the bibliography. From Maine or From Away? Of the 216 references, 153 refer directly to Maine and are highlighted with the Maine symbol ( ) before the author's name. Every section represents a comprehensive listing for Maine-related literature. In areas where publications specific to Maine are limited, general references, or useful references from other regions are supplied. References from out-of-state were selected on the basis of their relevance to Maine. In each section the literature is listed alphabetically by author. Short descriptions intended to characterize the reference follow each entry.
Using the BibliographyMany of the references will not be available at smaller libraries. If you have difficulty finding a particular report try writing the organization -- many reports are available by mail and often free. Contact the nearest University of Maine library, the State Library in Augusta, or your county extension agent. For federal or state government reports contact the agency listed as publisher. Your congressional delegates may also have access to federal publications. Ask at their offices before buying the report. The Maine Audubon has all of the publications from this bibliography in its research library, located at the Gilsland Farm Environmental Center in Falmouth, Maine. The library is available to the public by reservation. All of the references in this bibliography are also entered into a bibliographic database, Bookends Pro version 3.1 (Westing Software, 800-325-1862, 2960 Paradise Drive, Tiburon, CA 94920). This program enables us to search the database using keywords. For example, if an organization is interested in finding information on the demographics of bird watching tourists, the keywords demographics and birding can be entered and the program will generate a list of publications touching on these topics. Maine Audubon welcomes visits to search this database or will receive phone requests for a database search. To visit the Maine Audubon library, do a keyword search, or obtain a copy of this database on disc, please contact the secretary of Maine Audubon's Conservation Department at (207) 781-2330.
Acknowledgments
Valuing the Nature of Maine is a research project conducted by Maine Audubon with generous financial support from The John Merck Fund and the W. Alton Jones Foundation. This publication is the work of Philip Gerard, editor and project manager; Bob Hooper, production assistant and researcher; Sharon Gwinn, original project manager; and Sandra Neily, project coordinator. This bibliography would not have been possible without the advice and assistance of many people, including:
We are especially indebted to the following people, who reviewed and critiqued project design and drafts, and provided expertise and insight.
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