University of Oregon, Ecosystem Workforce Program
OWEB helps Oregon’s communities by investing in watershed restoration. In 2010, the University of Oregon (UofO) Ecosystem Workforce Program (EWP) studied these investments.
The study showed that every $1 million of public investment in clean water and restoration creates about 15-24 jobs. 90% of grant funds stay in Oregon. OWEB grant recipients usually hire small local businesses which helps support local communities.
Socio-economic Impacts of the Southern Flow Corridor Restoration Efforts
The Southern Flow Corridor (SFC) site is a 521-acre tidal wetland habitat restoration and flood reduction project located just north of Tillamook, Oregon. A variety of state agencies, including OWEB, federal agencies, non-governmental organizations, and private funding sources contributed over $10 million to complete this multi-year project. The SFC project was designed to create salmon habitat and decrease seasonal flooding impacts in the City of Tillamook.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the Tillamook Estuary Partnership (TEP) commissioned a review of data gaps to better understand the contribution of the SFC restoration to the local economy. The resulting
Socio-economic Impacts Report is the product of an extensive literature review and a collection and assessment of available data pertaining to the socio-economic impacts of water quality restoration, flood mitigation, salmon habitat creation, carbon storage, and resultant benefits to the community. The report also describes results from a new housing market analysis conducted to determine if and how the restoration affected local housing values and results from an economic impact analysis of project spending conducted by NOAA.
Contact
Please direct questions or comments to
Audrey Hatch, Conservation Outcomes Coordinator, 971-345-7002, or
Ken Fetcho, Effectiveness Monitoring Coordinator, 971-345-7018.