WASHINGTON, D.C.— The Office of Management and Budget and Office of Science and Technology Policy’s proposed guidance for assessing ecosystem services in federal decision-making will strengthen climate resilience and community well-being.

“The benefits that nature provides are abundant — from the provision of clean water, to the protection from climate-fueled fires, floods, and drought, to recreational opportunities — but these values historically have been undercounted in federal decision-making. This guidance recognizes this omission and will support a more accurate and full accounting of the services that nature provides,” said Jessie Ritter, associate vice president for water resources and coastal policy at the National Wildlife Federation. “We will work with the White House and Biden Administration to ensure this new guidance is applied to strengthen climate resilience and help communities and wildlife thrive.”

The National Wildlife Federation has highlighted the value of healthy habitat and ecosystems like wetlands, dunes, floodplains, forests, and coral reefs. For example, the 2020 report, “The Protective Value of Nature” catalogs how nature-based strategies and healthy, intact ecosystems can help protect people and property from natural hazards— and are often more cost-effective than conventional structural approaches.