2022 journal article

Economic Contribution Analysis of Urban Forestry in the Northeastern and Midwestern States of the United States in 2018

Urban Forestry & Urban Greening, 69, 127490.

By: R. Parajuli n , S. Chizmar  n, M. Hoy n, O. Joshi *, J. Gordon*, S. Mehmood*, J. Henderson*, J. Poudel *, O. Witthun*, L. Buntrock*

co-author countries: United States of America πŸ‡ΊπŸ‡Έ
author keywords: Employment; Industry output; Input-output modeling; Landscaping; Urban and community forestry
Source: ORCID
Added: January 26, 2022

Urban and community forestry is an increasingly integral component enhancing the well-being of urban places. Along with providing aesthetic benefits and other critical ecosystem services, urban forestry contributes to local and regional economies by supporting jobs and economic activities through various businesses and industries. In this study, we estimated the economic contribution of urban forestry to the regional economy in terms of several economic and business metrics including jobs, labor income, value-added, and tax collections. To this end, we developed an extensive scope of urban forest industries and activities incorporating all private, public, and non-profit businesses and organizations involved in urban forestry in the Northeastern and Midwest states. Results from the input-output modeling suggest that in 2018, urban forestry in the Northeastern and Midwest states directly contributed $17.6 billion in industry output and $13.5 billion in value-added by supporting about 258,550 full- and part-time jobs in various businesses and activities. Including direct, indirect, and induced effects, urban forestry in the region had a total contribution of $34.7 billion in industry output to the regional economy, employing more than 357,200 people with a payroll of about $16 billion. These numbers are crucial to highlight the economic significance of urban forestry businesses and agencies as well as to educate the public, economic development professionals, and legislators about the importance of urban and community forestry in the Northeastern and Midwest states.