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National
Park Foundation Announces Study Determining
Value
of America’s National Parks to be $92 Billion
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Professors from
Colorado State University and Harvard Kennedy School Provide
Total Economic Value
Study of National Parks and National Park Service Programs
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Washington,
DC – July 2016 / Newsmaker Alert / Thursday (June 30), the National
Park Foundation (NPF) announced the first-ever study providing a comprehensive
economic valuation of America’s national parks and the programming provided
by the National Park Service (NPS). The
study, conducted by Professor John Loomis and Research Associate Michelle
Haefele, both at Colorado State University, and Professor Linda Bilmes
of the Harvard Kennedy School, determined the total economic value (TEV)
of national parks and the National Park Service’s programs to be $92 billion.
The
study, a reporting of total economic value, clearly demonstrates the public’s
shared perception of the incredible benefits of national parks and programs,
whether they personally visit parks or not. In fact, 95% of the American
public said that protecting national parks for future generations was important
and 80% would pay higher federal taxes to ensure the protection and preservation
of the National Park System.
“Every
day, we hear about the life-changing and enriching experiences of visitors
to our national parks.” said Will Shafroth, president of the National Park
Foundation. “While these experiences provide spiritual, emotional, and
physical value to these visitors, this groundbreaking study documents the
economic value the American public recognizes that our national parks give
to our country.”
“This
study demonstrates the enormous value that the public places in the work
of the National Park Service, even beyond the iconic and incredible places
in our care,” said National Park Service Director Jonathan B. Jarvis. “By
affirming our commitment to the programs that help us preserve American
culture and history through place, this study provides great context for
the direction the National Park Service will move in our second century
to tell a more complete and diverse story of who we are and what we value
as a nation.”
“Even
though national parks are priceless public assets, it’s important to estimate
how much the American public would pay to protect them,” said Professor
Linda J. Bilmes, the Daniel Patrick Moynihan Senior Lecturer in Public
Policy at Harvard University.”This study is a birthday wake-up call that
shows Americans value the NPS at least 30 times more than the government
spends on them.”
Professor
John Loomis concluded that “This study demonstrates that more than half
of the total economic value of national parks is attributable to the benefits
the American public receives from just knowing the National Park System
is protected for current and future generations.”
The
methods used in this total economic value study are fully consistent with
other valuation efforts within the federal government to analyze proposed
regulations, evaluate environmental compliance alternatives, quantify losses
of natural resources from oil spills, and other purposes. This study was
peer-reviewed and will be submitted for publication in academic journals.
Different
from the National Park Service Visitor
Spending Effects model that describes the benefits that accrue to surrounding
communities through sustained economic activity and jobs, this study estimates
a value to national parks and National Park Service programs such as the
Land and Water Conservation Fund and the National Natural Landmarks Program.
The
Congressionally-chartered National Park Foundation raises private funds
in support of America’s national parks and programs. Currently, NPF is
in the middle of its largest comprehensive fundraising effort to date,
the Centennial Campaign for
America’s National Parks. The $350 million campaign will make transformative
investments to protect America’s special places, connect people from all
backgrounds to parks, and inspire future generations of national park stewardship.
To date, the Foundation’s total fundraising is more than $225 million.
The
research for this study was funded through the generosity of the National
Park Foundation, the S.D. Bechtel Jr. Foundation, the Turner Foundation,
Cody J. Smith of the Summit Foundation, and UPD Consulting Inc., and under
the auspices of Colorado State University and Harvard University.
This
study is part of a larger study of the value of the National Parks led
by Bilmes and Loomis that is looking at the value of ecosystem management,
intellectual property creation, education and other aspects of value. See
other studies in the series:
Carbon
Sequestration in the U.S. National Parks: A Value Beyond Visitation—Summary
Carbon
Sequestration in the U.S. National Parks: A Value Beyond Visitation
The
Value of America’s Greatest Idea: Framework for Total Economic Valuation
of National Park Service Operations and Assets
The
full study can be read
here.
About
The National Park Service
More
than 20,000 National Park Service employees care for America’s 412 national
parks and work with communities across the nation to help preserve local
history and create close-to-home recreational opportunities. Visit us at
www.NPS.gov,
on Facebook Facebook.com/nationalparkservice,
Twitter Twitter.com/natlparkservice,
and YouTube YouTube.com/nationalparkservice.
About
The National Park Foundation
The
National Park Foundation is the official charity of America’s national
parks and nonprofit partner to the National Park Service. Chartered by
Congress in 1967, the National Park Foundation raises private funds to
help PROTECT more than 84 million acres of national parks through critical
conservation and preservation efforts, CONNECT all Americans with their
incomparable natural landscapes, vibrant culture and rich history, and
INSPIRE the next generation of park stewards. In 2016, commemorating the
National Park Service’s 100th anniversary, the Foundation launched The
Centennial Campaign for America’s National Parks, a $350 million comprehensive
fundraising campaign to strengthen and enhance the future of these national
treasures for the next hundred years. Find out more and become a part of
the national park community at www.NationalParks.org.
Contacts:
Jeffrey
Olson (NPS)
202-208-6843
Alanna
Sobel (NPF)
202-796-2538 |