Part V II Table 11 – Annual Value of MPT Ecosystem Services by Land Type Acreage Land Cover Types Beach
Low and High Values (per Acre)
Low and High Totals (Values x Acreage)
Acres
Low
High
Low
High
19.48
$26,494.81
$72,947.24
$516,037.61
$1,420,788.50
Developed
286.97
$0
$0
$0
$0
Urban Greenspace
630.70
$1,393.41
$5,108.13
$878,832.92
$3,221,721.73
49.78
$131.84
$716.15
$6,563.86
$35,651.61
Grassland Shrub/Scrub
96.74
$47.90
$2,974.99
$4,633.79
$287,791.19
Evergreen Forest
936.68
$2,165.05
$2,165.05
$2,027,962.09
$2,027,962.09
Forest
$6,787,297.98
654.00
$510.05
$10,378.09
$333,573.05
Lakes/Rivers
25.14
$3,141.09
$29,379.94
$78,981.51
$738,747.69
Wetlands
11.95
$4,030.40
$141,784.94
$48,170.72
$1,694,590.67
Woody Wetlands
58.64
$1,753.74
$2,906.54
$102,847.72
$170,453.84
Marine
30.86
$121.22
$337.43
$3,741.43
$10,414.72
2,800.94
$39,789.51
$268,689.50
$4,001,344.70
$16,395,420.02
Total
and reduces health costs. The value to improved quality of life far surpasses the measureable avoided health costs. With data from the parks on physical activity and participation and the known relationship to health improvements and avoided health costs, the dollar value of avoided health costs provided by parks can be estimated. • Air Purification Benefits: Trees remove contaminants and particulates from the air. This natural pollution reduction is particularly valuable in cities, where high densities of people and high air pollution levels combine to cause higher rates of respiratory diseases. The tree cover in MPT parks improves air quality by absorbing potentially hazardous gases and reducing particulates created by heavy traffic and industrial activity. The physical reductions in pollution provided by park tree cover and the reduced health costs to citizens are both measurable and provide a dollar estimate for the air purification value of parks. Again, this is an avoided cost approach, so it does not capture the value of improved quality of life that
Economic Impact of Metro Parks Tacoma Ecosystem Services
people experience with fewer and less acute respiratory diseases. • Educational Value: Many of the activities that take place in MPT parks teach attending youth about service, sportsmanship, cooperation, science, ecosystems, civics and history. The value of education is harvested across a lifetime. Again a minimal baseline estimate of the education value provided to kids by parks can be obtained by using the same dollar value per educational hour as is applied to the public schools in Washington. • Social Capital Value: Much of what it takes to maintain MPT is provided by volunteers. Where practical and possible, volunteers implement restoration, maintenance and general upkeep with their time and work. Much of the donated time comes in the form of service programs, such as Boy and Girl Scout activities and other family activities that promote the health and education of youth. There is great social, community and cultural benefit provided for which 57