A recent article from MLIVE.com

"West Michigan's abundant natural resources — forests, sand dunes, wetlands and water — provide a variety of benefits that are worth at least $1.6 billion annually, according to a new study.

Putting a dollar figure on nature, also known as green infrastructure, is a tricky business, technically and philosophically. But officials at the West Michigan Strategic Alliance sought to demonstrate that nature is valuable and that damaging it comes at a price."

Click here for the rest of the article

Also, refer back to the Brookings Institue Report on the economic benefits of clean, healthy Great Lakes

It seems that it is becoming easier to assign value to nature for nature's sake!