{"id":7965,"date":"2012-03-29T10:28:33","date_gmt":"2012-03-29T14:28:33","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/?p=7965"},"modified":"2012-03-29T10:28:33","modified_gmt":"2012-03-29T14:28:33","slug":"proponents-make-economic-case-on-open-space","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/?p=7965","title":{"rendered":"Proponents make economic case on open space"},"content":{"rendered":"

Pennsbury Land Trust Meeting highlights case studies and return on investment to local economy<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

By Donna C. Gregory<\/strong>, Correspondent, UnionvilleTimes.com<\/em><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>PENNSBURY \u2014 Kristine Kern, Bucks County\u2019s open space coordinator and GreenSpace Alliance board member, made the case for preserving open space during the Pennsbury Land Trust\u2019s annual meeting last week.<\/p>\n

Kern presented two case studies from Chester County that demonstrate the economic value of open space. The studies are part of a larger study called \u201cReturn on Environment: The Economic Value of Protected Open Space in Southeastern Pennsylvania.\u201d The first-time study encompassed Chester, Bucks, Delaware and Montgomery counties and Philadelphia, and was jointly commissioned by the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission and the GreenSpace Alliance, a nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving open space throughout southeastern Pennsylvania.<\/p>\n

The Chester County\u2019s Honey Brook Township and Hopewell Big Woods were cited as examples of how open space benefits the region economically. In Honey Brook, for example, it\u2019s \u201cestimated that the township\u2019s 55 dairy farms and 2,145 cows generate nearly $29.5 million in economic activity every year,\u201d reads the study. \u201cMore than two-thirds of Honey Brook\u2019s 25 square miles are actively farmed.\u201d<\/p>\n

In 2005, Honey Brook residents passed a referendum to increase the township\u2019s earned income tax to fund the preservation of farmland and open space. Since then, the township has \u201callocated nearly $4.5 million toward protecting agricultural land from development.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Hopewell Big Woods case study highlighted the environmental benefits of southeastern Pennsylvania\u2019s largest unbroken stretch of forest. Hopewell\u2019s 73,000 acres provide $47 million in annual environmental benefits, such as naturally cleaning the water and air and flood mitigation.<\/p>\n

Homeowners also reap Hopewell\u2019s benefits. Based on home sales from 2005-09, properties located within one-quarter mile of Hopewell sold for $8,270 more than similar homes located in areas without protected open space.<\/p>\n

Patty Elkis, associate director of comprehensive planning for the Delaware commission, presented the study\u2019s larger findings. There are about 200,000 acres of protected open space in the study area, with plans to preserve another 230,000 acres.<\/p>\n

\u201cTo more than double what we have is going to be a very big challenge,\u201d Elkis said.<\/p>\n

From 1970 to 2005, the region lost about 24 acres per day to development. Southeastern Pennsylvania\u2019s population is projected to grow by approximately 400,000 people between 2010 and 2035. The region is expected to add 240,000 jobs during the same time period.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe would like to see the people and jobs located in areas where infrastructure is already in place,\u201d Elkis said.<\/p>\n

The study is designed to educate lawmakers and the public on the value of preserving open space. To the land trust and similar groups, it\u2019s an important message at a time when funding for the state\u2019s conservation efforts could be on the chopping block.<\/p>\n

Gov. Tom Corbett\u2019s proposed budget diverts revenues from the cigarette sales tax used for farmland preservation to the general fund.<\/p>\n

The budget also proposes diverting $30 million from the commonwealth\u2019s Keystone Recreation, Park and Conservation Fund to the general fund. If approved, it would be the largest cut in conservation funding in Pennsylvania\u2019s history.<\/p>\n

Lawmakers and others often assume preserved land doesn\u2019t generate revenue. The study disproved that belief, showing that open space generates economic activity in four ways: by increasing property values, providing essential environmental services, offering health and recreational benefits and creating jobs.<\/p>\n

On average, homes located within one mile of preserved open space sell for $10,000 more than similar homes in areas without open space.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe closer you are to open space, the higher that value goes,\u201d Elkins said.<\/p>\n

The study also found that the region would spend $132.5 million per year to pay for environmental services performed naturally by preserved open space.<\/p>\n

\u201cTrees on protected open space are estimated to provide $17 million in annual air pollution removal and carbon sequestration services,\u201d reads the story. \u201cThe total annual benefit generated by natural flood mitigation services is more than $37 million.\u201d<\/p>\n

Protected open space saves every household in the region $392 annually through the free use of parks and trails. \u201cImproved health prevents nearly $800 million in medical care costs annually,\u201d reads the study.<\/p>\n

Protected open space generates 6,900 jobs and $299 million in annual earnings. \u201cEconomic activity associated with protected open space generates $30 million per year in state and local tax revenue,\u201d reads the study.<\/p>\n

\u201c[Open space] is more than just a pretty place,\u201d Kern said. \u201cIt generates hundreds of millions of dollars in benefits for our region.\u201d<\/p>\n

To read the complete study, visit www.greenspacealliance.org\/home<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Pennsbury Land Trust Meeting highlights case studies and return on investment to local economy By Donna C. Gregory, Correspondent, UnionvilleTimes.com PENNSBURY \u2014 Kristine Kern, Bucks County\u2019s open space coordinator and GreenSpace Alliance board member, made the case for preserving open space during the Pennsbury Land Trust\u2019s annual meeting last week. Kern presented two case studies […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":7966,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,7],"tags":[1062,168,1015],"class_list":["post-7965","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","category-featured","tag-economic-impact","tag-open-space","tag-pennsbury-land-trust"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7965","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=7965"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7965\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/7966"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=7965"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=7965"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=7965"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}