Billions of people around the world rely on forest land to filter and provide clean drinking water. The high value that people place in drinking water can be a strong rationale for conserving and sustainably managing forests, however, people are often unaware of this forest ecosystem service of providing clean drinking water (FESDWQ). Understanding the value that stakeholders place in the FESDWQ is critical to informed and strategic conservation actions. A mixed-methods approach rooted in value-belief-norm theory and using social network analysis was employed measuring the value stakeholders place in the FESDWQ in three watersheds in Michigan. This research assessed 1) how stakeholders value the link between forests and drinking water, 2) the social network of stakeholders impacted by the FESDWQ, 3) the value of the FESDWQ as influenced by stakeholder interactions, and 4) the potential support for watershed management programs that utilize this FESDWQ.Semi-structured interviews of individuals from a diverse array of stakeholder categories were conducted. Results show that stakeholders place the most value in water quality as a forest ecosystem service over other forest benefits, but this value does not transfer to the FESDWQ. Regulating over provisioning ecosystem services of water quality was prioritized in each watershed. No stakeholder groups engage in any projects that explicitly address forests and drinking water. Industry and policy makers have a large influence on the functioning of the FESDWQ, and non-profit groups are the best positioned to influence conservation strategies that include the FESDWQ.
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