Economic - City/County Benefits

City/County:
  1. Natural Capital.  St. Paul, Minneapolis and the MN Dept of Health are all collaborators with the Natural Capital Project - which "support[s] resilient, sustainable, and equitable cities through nature-based solutions".  Investing in Natural Capital can increase economic capital as well. 
  2. Nature Capitol and Interconnectivity.  They Want to Start Pay Mother Nature for All Her Hard Work, NYTimes, Feb 3, 2021.   Ignoring the value of nature threatens humanity itself, according to a new British report on biodiversity and economics.  More details:  Nature is a blind spot in economics that we ignore at our peril, says Dasgupta Review , gov.uk/HMTreasury,  Feb 2, 2021.  A fundamental change in how we think about and approach economics is needed if we are to reverse biodiversity loss and protect and enhance our prosperity, an independent, global review on the Economics of Biodiversity said today (Tuesday 2 February).
  3. Natural Areas: Protecting A Vital Community Asset .  Cost-Benefit:  "Any serious and comprehensive cost-benefit analysis will look beyond the simplistic notion that "development = increased tax base" and will teach us that we quite literally can't afford not to protect natural areas."   (pg 8, MN DNR, 1997)
  4. Green Infrastructure: Forests and Nature Reserves.  These have long been recognized as places for social interaction, psychological renewal, recreation, and education. In recent decades, scientists have also learned more about how natural areas provide ecosystem services - or Nature's Contributions to People (NCP) -  including, but not limited to, carbon sequestration, air and water purification, and large-scale nutrient cycling for entire regions.  
  5. Economic Benefits of Parks.  Increased property values, increased tax revenues, decreased medical costs through increased exercise, increased tourism revenue, improved attractiveness of communities to homebuyers and businesses, decreased stormwater treatment costs. 
  6. Return on Environment: The Economic Value of Protected Open Space in Southeastern Pennsylvania.  Although this is in Pennsylvania - the principal remains the same.
  7. Intangibles: Beauty, experiences, witness wildlife in native environment,
  8. Nature Center/Visitor Center that focused on BTT land and the Battle Creek Parks would generate more interest and involvement, increase usage of all areas and bring in fees
  9. Corporate Retreat Center -- self sustaining financially and taxable and leave green space for center and public 
  10. Could be a jewel in City/County cap.  Not many urban space / capital cities have this kind of space within their boundaries. (What would New York be without Central Park?)  Benefit for tourism in St. Paul, and thus boost business on the east side.  Connect with Battle Creek Park, bike trails, Bruce Vento Sanctuary and other parts of the Lower Phalen Creek Project.
In 1991, combined Minnesota retail sales attributed to migratory bird hunting and non-consumptive bird use (such as birdwatching) totaled $128.6 million. ***  Nationwide in the same year, $6.5 billion was spent by bird enthusiasts for a variety of goods and services, $5.2 billion of which was associated with non-consumptive bird use. Recreational enjoyment of birds supported 234,230 jobs.             
​        ~International Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (IAWF) and Ducks Unlimited