Re: "The Economic Benefits of Open Space"

[Emery Graham <"egraham"@ci.wilmington.de.us>]

It becomes increasingly apparent that one of the attendant impacts of
efforts to preserve open space is an increase in the value of land in other
existing uses. As our efforts to spur economic development succeed, those
who are existing land owners will find themselves the beneficiaries of
windfall profits and rents driven by government supported programs.

What happened to "environmental justice.?

Tony Chenhansa wrote:

> The Trust for Public Land (TPL) has released a report on 5/17/99 about
> the economic benefits of open space.
>
> "The Economic Benefits of Parks and Open Space: How Land Conservation
> Helps Communities Grow Smart and Protect the Bottom Line."
>
> TPL's 48-page report features research findings and examples from around
> the country. Topics include conservation as a smart-growth tool; the
> role of parks and greenways in attracting business and investment; the
> importance of parks in revitalizing cites; the economic benefits of
> land-based tourism and recreation; the role of farms and ranches to
> community economies; and the economic benefits of protecting
> floodplains, watersheds and wildlife habitat
>
> It's available in PDF format at:
> http://www.igc.org/tpl/newsroom/reports/econbenz/index.html
>
> Below is a partial list of economic benefits.
>
> * Estimated annual value of open space to the economy of New Hampshire:
> $8 billion
>
> * Approximate fraction of the state's total economy this amount
> represents: 25 percent2
>
> * Percentage of Denver residents who in 1980 said they would pay more to
> live near a greenbelt or park: 16 percent
>
> Percentage who said so in 1990: 48 percent3
>
> * Estimated gross increase in residential property value resulting from
> proximity to San Francisco's Golden Gate Park: $500 million to $1
> billion
>
> * Increased property taxes resulting from this value: $5-$10 million4
>
> * Annual value of agricultural production in California's Central
> Valley: $13 billion
>
> * Estimated amount of Central Valley farmland lost to urban sprawl each
> year: 15,000 acres
>
> * Estimated value of agricultural production that could be saved by 2040
> if Central Valley communities increased the density of development from
> 3 to 6 housing units per acre: $72 billion5
>
> * Estimated value of outdoor recreation to the U.S. economy in 1996: $40
> billion6
>
> * Estimated cost to New York City to buy watershed lands to protect
> upstate drinking water supplies: $1.5 billion
>
> * Estimated cost to New York City to build a filtration plant if upstate
> watershed lands are developed: $6 billion to $8 billion12
>
> continued ...
> http://www.igc.org/tpl/newsroom/reports/econbenz/benefits.html
>
> --
>
> [EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY: CPEO'S PHONE NUMBER HAS CHANGED
> TO 415-405-7751. OUR FAX NUMBER IS STILL THE SAME]
>
> Tony Chenhansa,  Program Coordinator
> Center for Public Environmental Oversight (CPEO)
> 425 Market Street 2nd Floor, San Francisco, CA  94105
> ph: 415-405-7751 fx: 415-904-7765
> e-mail: tonyc@cpeo.org
> http://www.cpeo.org
>
> A program of the San Francisco Urban Institute