Successful agencies do a great job of measuring and promoting the economic benefits of parks and recreation to the public and to their elected officials. Why? Because they have learned that in order to get funding, they need to demonstrate a return on the use of public monies. They calculate increases in property values, tourism dollars, and direct revenue. It’s a calculation that is expected for budget justifications and public presentations. But ask these same agencies to calculate the direct and indirect economic benefits of preserving open space or to show the economic value of how parks improve water quality and provide clean air, and you will probably get a blank stare. That’s because they didn’t have or think to use the tools that can demonstrate how--until now. 

Michael Kirschman, division director of Natural Resources for Mecklenburg County Parks and Recreation, led students at the recent NRPA Green School through an eye-opening exercise titled “What It’s Worth.” He provided a series of worksheets that allows any agency to put a dollar value on what their parks provide in ecosystem services—the contributions of natural systems to clean air, clean water, and a healthy environment. 

Many agencies, for example, don’t make the case that their park trees and urban forests have a definite economic value to their community, and that they produce benefits far in excess of the costs to manage them. Data sets provided showed that the value of trees alone can range from a value to $.29 to $.51 per tree per year, and up to $94 per acre of forest land. Clean water benefits can be calculated at ranges from $58 per acre to a whopping $747 per acre per year. Best of all, these benefits are renewable and recurring, and they even increase  in value as long as natural systems are managed to be healthy and productive.

The economic benefits that our parks provide to citizens are not “free.” They require an investment in managing them and keeping them healthy to produce their maximum benefits. However, the provable economic benefits these protected natural resources provide are every bit as valuable as other tax-supported government services provided to the public. Calculating and explaining these benefits to the public and to elected officials will be vital to maintaining support and funding for parks and recreation in the future.

Learning how to calculate the economic benefits of parks and open space was the focus of just one session at the Green School. With content like this, imagine the other learning that took place.  Sessions on Environmental Management Systems, Moving Toward Zero Waste, Sustainable Landscapes, and Green Maintenance were only a few of the course offerings. Students came away from the school energized and enthusiastic about making a difference in their own agencies. 

Who should attend next year? Every professional can benefit. Agency directors who want to see their employees catch fire with new purpose should consider sending facilities management professionals, planners, programmers, educators, public affairs staffs, naturalists, park managers—just about anyone. The Green School is a way to the future. It is what our elected officials want us to do, and what the public wants. Join us.