Value of Recovery Planning

Salmonid recovery planning has a value beyond that of protecting and enhancing salmonid populations. Restoring and conserving stream corridors provides benefits to human society by providing recreational opportunities and protecting environmental quality. Intact riparian ecosystems in San Mateo and Santa Cruz Counties provide a basis for the thriving recreational tourism industry (See Resource Use Section) and many ongoing services, such as flood reduction, contaminant sequestration, pollination, and water purification. These important contributions are discussed in detail in the Benefits section. In the section entitled Evaluating Alternatives, two methods commonly used to compare different recovery alternatives are presented and explained in detail.