the Economics of Outdoor Recreation in Washington State

Presentation Abstract

In 2014, approximately $21.6 billion were spent in association with outdoor recreation in Washington State. These expenditures supported about 200,000 jobs that year and fueled many local economies. More importantly, the outdoor recreation economy provides many co-benefits in the form of environmental benefits and general quality of life improvements. This presentation gives an overview of some of the major findings of recent studies conducted by Earth Economics for the Washington Recreation and Conservation Office, Washington State Parks, and for Whatcom County. There are more than sixteen different land managers in the state, promoting different types of outdoor recreation opportunities and conserving diverse landscapes that perform important ecological functions. Forests, wetlands, rivers, and urban green spaces all provide different benefits on which communities depend. The ability to be physically active also improves the mental and physical health of Washingtonians. It is critical to measure these co-benefits in order to highlight the economic, social, and environmental importance of these spaces. Moreover, we identify critical factors which act as drivers to increase visitation to outdoor recreation sites. A set of tools are proposed for land managers to enhance outdoor recreation opportunities while moving towards a more sustainable economy.

Session Title

The Value of Recreation and Community in the Salish Sea

Conference Track

People

Conference Name

Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference (2016 : Vancouver, B.C.)

Document Type

Event

Start Date

2016 12:00 AM

End Date

2016 12:00 AM

Location

2016SSEC

Type of Presentation

Oral

Genre/Form

conference proceedings; presentations (communicative events)

Contributing Repository

Digital content made available by University Archives, Heritage Resources, Western Libraries, Western Washington University.

Subjects – Topical (LCSH)

Outdoor recreation--Economic aspects--Washington (State)

Geographic Coverage

Salish Sea (B.C. and Wash.); Washington (State)

Comments

http://www.eartheconomics.org/FileLibrary/file/Reports/Earth%20Economics%20Outdoor%20Recreation%20Report%202015%20Final.pdf

http://eartheconomics.org/FileLibrary/file/Reports/EE%20State%20Parks%20FINAL%20FINAL%208%2020%2015.pdf

http://eartheconomics.org/FileLibrary/file/Reports/Economic%20Contribution%20of%20Outdoor%20Recreation%20to%20Whatcom%20County%20-%202015.pdf

Rights

This resource is displayed for educational purposes only and may be subject to U.S. and international copyright laws. For more information about rights or obtaining copies of this resource, please contact University Archives, Heritage Resources, Western Libraries, Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA 98225-9103, USA (360-650-7534; heritage.resources@wwu.edu) and refer to the collection name and identifier. Any materials cited must be attributed to the Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference Records, University Archives, Heritage Resources, Western Libraries, Western Washington University.

Type

Text

Language

English

Format

application/pdf

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Jan 1st, 12:00 AM Jan 1st, 12:00 AM

the Economics of Outdoor Recreation in Washington State

2016SSEC

In 2014, approximately $21.6 billion were spent in association with outdoor recreation in Washington State. These expenditures supported about 200,000 jobs that year and fueled many local economies. More importantly, the outdoor recreation economy provides many co-benefits in the form of environmental benefits and general quality of life improvements. This presentation gives an overview of some of the major findings of recent studies conducted by Earth Economics for the Washington Recreation and Conservation Office, Washington State Parks, and for Whatcom County. There are more than sixteen different land managers in the state, promoting different types of outdoor recreation opportunities and conserving diverse landscapes that perform important ecological functions. Forests, wetlands, rivers, and urban green spaces all provide different benefits on which communities depend. The ability to be physically active also improves the mental and physical health of Washingtonians. It is critical to measure these co-benefits in order to highlight the economic, social, and environmental importance of these spaces. Moreover, we identify critical factors which act as drivers to increase visitation to outdoor recreation sites. A set of tools are proposed for land managers to enhance outdoor recreation opportunities while moving towards a more sustainable economy.