Penn Township Penn Township’s rural character and quality of Life are facing the winds of change. 2019 RETURN ON ENVIRONMENT STUDY Funding assistance has been provided by the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Bureau of Recreation and Conservation, Environmental Stewardship Fund.
KEYST NE Conservation Trust 01. The forests, streams, wetlands and wildlife of Penn Township have been a major part of the area’s cultural legacy and historic pride for more than 300 years. Nature is One of Penn Township’s Cultural Legacies
KEYST NE Conservation Trust South Mountain provides a striking visual backdrop in the daily lives of thousands who also depend on the landscape’s resources.
KEYST NE Conservation Trust Article I, Section 27 of the Pennsylvania Constitution provides as follows: “The people have a right to clean air, pure water, and to the preservation of the natural, scenic, historic and aesthetic values of the environment. Pennsylvania’s public natural resources are the common property of all the people, including generations yet to come. As trustee of these resources, the Commonwealth shall conserve and maintain them for the benefit of all the people.”
KEYST NE Conservation Trust SPRAWL Pennsylvania has consumed more land per person than any For every dollar received from residential other state over the past 30 development, a township pays $1.16 to years. Sprawl has been provide services. accelerating the fragmentation Crompton, 2007 Trust for Public Lands and depletion of forests, Another impact from sprawl is the loss wetlands and other open areas of critical habitat. Forty percent of where natural system services migrating birds are in “conservation need,”— meaning they lack adequate occur. habitat. As bird populations decrease, snake, rodent and insect populations Cost of Sprawl Pennsylvania, 2010 increase.
KEYST NE Conservation Trust Natural Conundrums Penn Township has Long-Term Problems many long-standing ▪ Water pollution environmental ▪ Flooding problems. ▪ Sprawl ▪ Stormwater management ▪ Invasive plants ▪ Forest fragmentation ▪ Misuse of chemicals Putting a dollar value ▪ Bee collapse on nature can help ▪ Air quality solve 70%-100% of ▪ Climate change current problems.
KEYST NE Conservation Trust 02. Because Mother Nature doesn't write receipts, nature's financial value is often overlooked or Nature is an undervalued in policy debates, Invisible business decisions and personal choices. Economy Photo: Mark Zakutansky
KEYST NE Conservation Trust Recreation and Habitat The first rule of ecology is that Exercise Property Value Removal of CO2 and Green House Gases everything is connected to Water Quality Fun Community Pride everything else. Biological Control Stormwater Management Beauty Whatever we do to natural Sense of Place Pollination habitats — good or bad, big or Flood Protection small — ripples through the Community Cohesion Health economy. Nutrient Absorption Soil Formation Retail Sales Economic Development Open Space Affects Everyth rything
KEYST NE Conservation Trust Why a Return on Environment Study? ▪ Explain nature’s financial value in easy -to-understand terms; ▪ Convey the economic significance of protecting and restoring nature to policy makers, investors, and homeowners; ▪ Underscore nature’s connection to quality of life, public health, cost of living, economy, and sense of place; ▪ Can be immediately applied to policy decisions involving land use, economic development, infrastructure, water resources, tourism, and recreation; ▪ Bring stakeholders to the table to effectively make informed investment decisions; ▪ Expose new business opportunities.
KEYST NE Conservation Trust COMMUNITIES THAT UNDERSTAND THE VALUE OF NATURE HAVE A BETTER CHANCE OF BALANCEING GROWTH AND PROTECTION OF OPEN SPACES.
KEYST NE Conservation Trust FIGURE 1 03. Penn Township’s Annual Return on Environment $31.14 million Nature is Natural system services $5.4 million Serious Value of existing riparian buffers Business $4.3 million Outdoor recreation annual revenues $1.5 million Health care cost savings attributed to open space and exercise Photo: Courtesy Blue Mountain Resort
KEYST NE Conservation Trust IT IS DIFFICULT TO HAVE A STRONG ECONOMY WITHOUT A HEALTHY ENVIRONMENT, PLENTY OF OPEN SPACE, AND QUALITY WATER AND HABITAT. John Rogers / Keystone Conservation Trust
KEYST NE Conservation Trust How are ROE values calculated? Health Care Costs Natural System Outdoor Recreation Property Value Related to Exercise Services Assessment of U.S. Centers for Surveys and Changes in Property Value Transfer Disease Control IMPLAN Model Value Avoiding costs for services that nature provides free of charge allows more money to circulate in the economy and create jobs. Real Estate Revenues Avoided Costs Premiums
What Have People Been Willing To Pay To Replace Nature’s Cost-Free Services? Eco-Pricing • Replacement costs • Best practices • Treatment • Fines • Tax benefits • Conservation easements Photo: Photo credit goes here • Management • Financial incentives Photo: John Rogers
KEYST NE Conservation Trust 1. Stormwater and flood protection Natural System Services 2. Water supply If we destroy or 3. Nutrient absorption disrupt nature, 4. Pollination 5. Erosion prevention taxpayers have to 6. Carbon sequestration pay to replace 7. Air pollutant removal these services. 8. Upland habitat 9. Aquatic habitat 10. Biological control
KEYST NE Conservation Trust ROE TOTAL LAND COVER VALUES Headwater forests and wetlands Average ROE Cover Type: Rural wetland $2,810 Urban wetlands Riparian forest and forested wetlands Average Conservation Floodplain forest Easement: 750 acres plus forest $3,339 (PALTA 2017) Less than 750 acre forest Urban forest Less than 150 acre forest Working regenrating forest Open water Developed open space Pasture Photo: Photo credit goes here Cultivated field Photo: Kristy M Smith Developed land $0 $1,000 $2,000 $3,000 $4,000 $5,000 $6,000 $7,000
KEYST NE Conservation Trust FIGURE 3 Penn Township’s $17,983,434/year ANNUAL BENEFITS FROM FORESTS $16 million Habitat $.82 million Pollination $.64 million Biological Control $.32 million Carbon Sequestration $.18 million Air Pollutant Removal
KEYST NE Conservation Trust FIGURE 3. Penn Township’s $13,154,381 per year ANNUAL WATER RESOURCE BENEFITS $7.7 million $5.4 million per year Stormwater and flood control $.2.1 million Riparian Buffers Water supply $2.5 million Nutrient absorption $1.3 million per year $.74 million Aquatic resources
KEYST NE Conservation Trust American Consumer Demand for Outdoor Spending $BILLIONS 1200 Recreation Is 1000 Increasing 800 600 400 200 0 The outdoor recreation industry is strong and growing, generating $887 billion annually in the United States and $29.1 billion in PA.
KEYST NE Conservation Trust Outdoor Recreation Activities people enjoy without hurting Penn the environment . Township 1. Walking 2. Fishing 3. Hunting $4.3 million 4. Birding 5. Wildlife Watching per year 6. Camping 7. Paddle sports 8. Bicycling 9. Horseback riding 10. Hiking 11. Cross-country skiing 12. Jogging/Running 13. Nature study
KEYST NE Conservation Trust INCREASING TRENDS IN OUTDOOR RECREATION PARTICIPATION ▪ Thirty-one percent of Pennsylvanians surveyed during the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources 2014 Outdoor Recreation Participation Survey said they planned to spend more time outdoors. ▪ About half of the region’s baby boomers plan to increase their outdoor activity, compared to 25 percent of their older counterparts. ▪ By 2025, millennials will make up 75 percent of the workforce, and these young professionals enjoy the outdoors and seek healthy and adventurous lifestyles.
KEYST NE Conservation Trust $1.5 million Nature Affects The per year Cost of Health Care Access to nature encourages exercise. People who exercise at least 1 day a week save money on health care costs. 18.3% exercise at least once a week and save $730 a year in health care costs. 31.2% exercise more than 2 days a week and save approximately $1,423 a year in health care costs. (PA Department of Conservation and Natural Photo: Photo credit goes here Resources, 2014) Photo: Courtesy Blue Mountain Resort
KEYST NE Conservation Trust Homes within ¼ mile of open space PROXIMITY TO OPEN SPACE ADDS VALUE TO YOUR HOME Waterfront - 22% Urban - 15% Suburban - 9% Rural - 1%
KEYST NE Conservation Trust 04. Nature provides the resources and venues that put Penn Township in a Nature is One of favorable or superior Penn Township’s position for economic Competitive growth, quality of life, low Advantages cost of living and attractive sense of place.
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