While investments in Great Lakes basin restoration have improved conditions in the region, a science-based approach that prioritizes management actions provides a clear pathway for the future. To accomplish this, ECT led the development of the Great Lakes Economic Valuation of Ecological Restoration (GLEVER), a decision support tool that assesses the ecological, economic, and social benefits of restoration activities.
The GLEVER framework uses a system dynamics approach to describe relationships between management actions and ecosystem functions. ECT conducted a data evaluation and gap analysis of available model input data that included stakeholder engagement. This comprehensive dataset brought previously disparate work into a single integrated tool.
The tool evaluates a range of restoration activities both past and present and allows users to identify the management actions/restoration activities that generate the greatest economic value and desired ecological outcomes while easily communicating these values to citizens and decision-makers.