April 2012 - Parks & Recreation - 6

P E rSP EC TIvES

a Message from nrPa's Leaders

Green School Shows Money
Does Grow on Trees

S

UccessFUl agencies Do a great Job of measuring and promoting the eco-

nomic 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.

Barbara tulipane, Cae
President and CeO
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April 2012 - Parks & Recreation

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