Skip to Content
Conservation Economics
The Conservation Economics team at TPL measures and analyzes the economic impacts of parks, trails, and greenspace. We leverage the collective expertise of the Lab for Land and People, including our award-winning Geospatial team, to identify the benefits of conserving lands.
Measuring economic return from conservation through natural goods and services, such as improved drinking water quality, outdoor recreation access, and improved wildlife habitat
Revealing the economic benefits of specific conservation projects and programs, and ways that outdoor recreation has ripple effects on the economy
Analyzing and summarizing existing economic data and reports to support conservation, outdoor recreation, and nature-based solutions
Summarizing economic benefits of parks, trails, and greenspace, available for individual projects or comprehensive programs
Let us help you with your economic data needs
New York City has an extensive park system that residents visit 527 million times per year, with 99 percent of residents living within a 10-minute walk to a park. TPL’s report found that parks in NYC provide $9.1 billion in recreational value for residents alone, and the residents who exercise in the parks exclusively avoid more than a billion dollars each year in health care costs. Parks are an iconic part of the urban landscape in NYC, drawing $17.9 billion in tourism spending from people who visit parks in the City when traveling. For more results and information on the benefits TPL quantified, visit The Economic Benefits of Parks in New York City.
Trust for Public Land conducted a return on investment study for the State of Vermont in 2018. The study found that every $1 invested in land conservation by the state returns $9 in economic value in natural goods and services, such as water quality protection, flood mitigation, and food production, to the Vermont economy.
State investment in land conservation also supports critical industries in Vermont that depend on the availability of high-quality protected land and water such as forestry, farming, outdoor recreation, and tourism. Conservation investments support jobs in these important industries and reinforce Vermonters’ strong sense of place. For more results and information on this analysis, visit Vermont’s Return on Investment in Land Conservation.
How Can We Help?
Do you have a question about The Land and People Lab? We’re glad you’re interested in helping us connect everyone to the outdoors. Tell us how we can support you or your organization.
Give us a few details and we’ll get back to you soon.
