Saskatoon’s natural areas take up 14 per cent of the city and are worth an estimated $48.2-million a year.

That from a pilot project report to the Environment Committee which took into account things like flood control as a natural asset, air quality, recreation, public education, regulating pests and carbon sequestration. It’s estimated 1.5 tonnes of carbon is stored in the soil and biomass of Saskatoon’s natural areas.

Watershed Protection Manager, Twyla Yobb, says natural capital assets take up 14 per cent of the city’s footprint including grasslands, forest and shrub areas and aquatic areas.

The report is a rough estimate where 2 areas were studied and then extrapolated to the rest of the city. The work from this project can go towards developing a framework to keep an account of natural assets and the ecosystem and identifying risks, such as the loss of soil or water quality.