On the value of natural ecosystems: the Catskills parable

Abstract

This paper discusses the use of the New York City drinking water supply watershed as an example how preserving ecosystem services can have significant effects on the potential cost of water treatment. It is argued that the water quality may not have been below EPA standards prior to the implementation of the FAD. The author also argues that the use of the term ‘natural’ services is not necessarily correct in the sense that they function better when not influenced by human manipulation or transformation.