Tuesday, January 26, 2010

N.C. State Parks Boomed with Business in 2009

This blog post from the Charlotte Observer notes the record attendence at N.C. State Parks in 2009. 2009 visits numbered 14.16 million, a jump of 13 percent over 2008. The direct economic impacts of parks, greenways and open space are noted in several reseach studies.


"The Daily Views" quotes Lewis Ledford, state parks director: “Beyond the quality recreation experiences, health benefits and exposure to the natural world, state parks also offer economic benefits to the local communities where they’re located. A 2008 economic study revealed the state parks system has an annual economic impact of more than $400 million, much of it in direct contributions to local tourism economies.”


Click on the link above to see the full economic study--it's worth a read.

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