The value of wetlands is really an essential piece of information. Several national studies have been conducted in Canada. There has been a survey of approximately 250 studies on the economic value of wetlands. As I mentioned earlier, the estimated value, and it is a large estimate, is $10,000 per hectare. Studies have also been conducted on the green belt, which circles the Montreal area. People come and submit economic studies on the value of all natural environments.
However, these values are hard to integrate into the decision-making process of a municipal budget. They are not tangible values. Elected representatives do not yet understand the reasons why these economic figures should be included. Consequently, there is really still a lot of work to do before elected representatives consider the economic value of these environments. The values must not be used improperly in calculating compensation. No one should destroy a wetland and demand $10,000 in exchange for doing so. We must also pay attention to the way economic value is used.