The EPA Ecosystem Services Tool Selection Portal

Matthew C. Harwell (), Leah M. Sharpe, Kaitlyn Hines, Cody Schumacher, Stephanie Kim, Gina Ferreira and Tammy A. Newcomer-Johnson
Additional contact information
Matthew C. Harwell: Pacific Ecological Systems Division, US Environmental Protection Agency, Newport, OR 97365, USA
Leah M. Sharpe: Gulf Ecosystem Measurement and Modeling Division, US Environmental Protection Agency, Gulf Breeze, FL 32561, USA
Kaitlyn Hines: Contractor to US Environmental Protection Agency, Cincinnati, OH 45268, USA
Cody Schumacher: Contractor to US Environmental Protection Agency, Cincinnati, OH 45268, USA
Stephanie Kim: Region 2 Superfund and Emergency Management Division, US Environmental Protection Agency, New York, NY 10007, USA
Gina Ferreira: Region 2 Superfund and Emergency Management Division, US Environmental Protection Agency, New York, NY 10007, USA
Tammy A. Newcomer-Johnson: Watershed and Ecosystem Characterization Division, US Environmental Protection Agency, Cincinnati, OH 45268, USA

Sustainability, 2024, vol. 16, issue 5, 1-19

Abstract: The dynamics of an environmental decision-making context can be complicated. The use of decision support tools can help better facilitate restoring and maintaining ecosystems that provide environmental benefits (ecosystem services) to people. Although an ecosystem services assessment tool is designed for specific purposes, having access to a comprehensive suite of tools offers the user additional insight and resources to help in decision making. A range of approaches exist to connect ecosystem services to a given decision context ranging from less to more complex: using the best professional judgment; applying examples from other efforts; testing individual tool applications; and using a systematic, decision-tree approach to navigate among relevant tools and frameworks. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency developed a decision-tree approach for a user to navigate the question of how to choose among a suite of ecosystem services assessment tools for three decision contexts: (1) ecological risk assessments; (2) cleanup of contaminated sites; (3) and generic structured decision-making processes. This tool selection navigator was developed with/for the intended user, including developing crosswalks between tool functionality and the user’s language for what they require in a tool. To navigate the tool, the user first chooses one of three decision contexts. Second, the user selects among the different phases of the decision process. Third, the user selects among a few ecosystem-services related tasks relevant to the decision context chosen to identify potential tools. The tool uses simple language to navigate the decision pathways and provides the user with a suite of potential ES resources and tools for their given decision context.

Keywords: ecosystem services; decision support; ecological risk assessment; contaminated site cleanup; decision-tree approach; user-centric design (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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