< < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < ThE Folk SChool changes you. Engaging hands and hearts since 1925. Come enjoy making crafts and good friends on 300 natural, scenic acres in western North Carolina. John C. Campbell Folk SChool folkschool.org • 1-800-Folk-SCh BraSSTowN • NorTh CaroliNa > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > news by Max Hunt mhunt@mountainx.com Cash cows return on inVestment Land of sKY: North Carolina’s diverse, mountains-to-sea landscape and strategic location are keys to the state’s popularity with tourists. Last year, more than 16.7 million visitors ventured to national park sites in the state, such as the Blue Ridge Parkway, above. How national and state parks boost N.C. communities To many Western North Carolina residents, the region’s parks and recreational areas represent a chance to experience our state’s natural beauty and preserve its rich history. But what’s often overlooked is these attractions’ key role in bolstering local economies. A recent report from the National Park Service highlights the way North Carolina’s protected areas benefit adjacent communities. Using statistics compiled by economists with the U.S. Geological Survey and the National Park Service, the report documents annual visits to national sites within the state and the resulting economic effects on “gateway communities,” defined 16 maY 13 - maY 19, 2015 mountainx.com distance. Families can drive across the state and experience incredibly iconic parks from end to end, plus a lot of history along the way.” Those visitors, the report notes, helped create 18,500 jobs last year, pouring about $1.5 billion into the state’s economy. Much of that spending went toward things like lodging, restaurants and gas, creating a “ripple effect” in local economies (often in rural or disadvantaged areas) that are geared toward accommodating tourists’ needs. “Those are the people we grocery-shop with,” Tyler explains. “They fix our cars, and they’re the ones that the tourists rely on. It’s an important connection that allows everyone to contribute to the public lands we’re using.” These public assets’ growing popularity, however, means local communities may face challenges if they want to preserve those significant economic benefits. as those within a 60-mile radius of such parks and monuments. According to the report, titled “2014 National Park Visitor Spending Effects,” North Carolina ranked third nationally, behind only Alaska and California. The more than 16.7 million visitors to North Carolina’s national park sites last year spent roughly $1.1 billion during their stays. Nationally, notes maggie tyler of the Park Service’s Southeast Regional Office. “We saw a 7 percent increase in park visitation from 2013 to 2014.” The reasons for the increase vary from region to region, says Tyler, citing North Carolina’s diverse physical landscape and strategic location as keys to the state’s popularity with tourists. “We have two great dichotomies: the mountains and the beach. Not many states can offer both those things,” she points out, “or offer both within a reasonable driving North Carolina’s nine national parks and historic sites include the Blue Ridge Parkway, Great Smoky Mountains National Park and the Carl Sandburg Home. Topping the list of the WNC attractions is the Blue Ridge Parkway, whose more than 13.9 million visitors spent some $863 million last year and supported an estimated 14,020 jobs. The Smokies, meanwhile, drew more than 10 million visitors, generating around $806 million in revenue; and the Carl Sandburg Home’s over 82,000 visitors generated $4 million in total visitor spending while supporting 75 jobs. And those benefits, notes Tyler, are pretty consistent. “As we’ve done these studies year after year, we continue to see that every time American taxpayers invest money in the public park system, there’s a great return into the economy,” she says. “This year’s numbers show that for every dollar invested by taxpayers into the National Park Service, over $10 comes back into the U.S. economy.” The Park Service tracks both direct spending by visitors and “indirect” or “induced” spending by the businesses serving them. Together, these categories, including the associated income and job growth, constitute the “total economic effect of visitor spending in a local economy,” the report explains. A formula developed by the Park Service identifies different types