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)
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
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.
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