Project Goals

Using focus groups and field surveys, followed by statistical analysis, the project seeks to better understand the ecosystem services Greater Portland residents derive from Forest Park.

Project Description

Forest Park is an unparalled resource, the largest natural area within a city that provides for quiet reflection, passive recreation, environmental research and educational discovery. Forest Park is a 5,200 acre natural area that is home to over 100 native bird species and more than 50 mammals

The greater Forest Park ecosystem consists of the 5,200 acre Forest Park, more than 1,100 acres of natural areas owned by Audubon, Metro and the Forest Park Conservancy and over 8,600 of private land.

Partnering with the Forest Park Conservancy and the Institute for Sustainable Solutions at Portland State University, IEE is analyzing the economic value of Forest Park ecosystem services. 

In phase 1 of the project, IEE Director Randy Bluffstone and 40 students in two economics courses conducted fieldwork to inventory the ecosystem services Greater Portland residents derive from Forest Park.  A second group of students extended the Portland Parks and Recreation Forest Park Recreation Survey to estimate the value of a trip to Forest Park.  Preliminary estimates using the travel cost valuation method suggest that a trip to Forest Park is valued at approximately $240.

In phase 2 more in-depth focus groups were conducted to better understand the diversity of ecosystem services across Portland’s neighborhoods.  During these focus groups preliminary research materials to conduct choice experiments that would allow IEE to attach monetary values to these ecosystem services were road tested and refined.  

If funded, phase 3 would allow IEE to conduct the survey necessary to implement the choice experiment.  It would also make possible needed statistical analysis and development of a final report and policy brief to help inform policies related to Forest Park.  

Reports Produced

Forest Park Ecosystems Services Inventory: An Exploratory Study.
April 20, 2015

Estimating the Recreational Value of Portland’s Forest Park
April 20, 2015

The Economic Value of Forest Park Ecosystem Services - Results from Focus Groups September 2016