Economic Contribution Analysis of Urban and Community Forestry in the Southern United States in 2019

Abstract

As populations in developing areas continue to increase in recent years, urban and community forestry (U&CF) has received considerable attention due to the ecological, social, and economic significance of trees and green landscapes in urban and semi-urban settings. Based on a regional survey of private, public, and nonprofit businesses and agencies involved in U&CF, we first developed a complete profile of the U&CF sector in the southern United States (SUS) and then estimated the economic contribution of U&CF businesses and activities to the thirteen-state regional economy. We estimated that, in 2019, U&CF in the SUS contributed about $23.2 billion in value added with a total jobs support of over 349,200. Based on the current economic contributions and the number of cities and towns in each state, we also categorized thirteen states into four different tiers. Results not only underscore the economic significance of U&CF businesses and activities in the SUS, but also serve as a baseline to track future trends and performance of U&CF in terms of various business metrics. Study Implications: With continuously growing populations in metropolitan cities and developed areas in the southern region, the scope and importance of urban and community forests has continued to increase in recent years as an appropriate strategy to mitigate impacts of urbanization and climate change. Our findings from the regional input-output model suggest that urban and community forestry (U&CF) is a significant economic contributor to the southern regional economy. These regional statistics not only serve as a baseline to track the size and performance of the U&CF sector in the region over the years, but also could be used to enhance existing policies and programs related to U&CF activities in rapidly growing metropolitan areas in the region. Governmental granting agencies could also use these economic metrics for a basis of fund allocation and distribution. Similarly, other sectors, such as public agencies and nonprofit organizations, may also find these results valuable to advocate for additional financial and technical support to sustain and expand U&CF programs in their jurisdictions.