Funds for conservation offer dividends for NC
- RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — A study commissioned by environmental groups says every dollar spent on land and water conservation in North Carolina returns $4 worth of natural resources to the state.
The study released Wednesday by the conservation coalition Land for Tomorrow found that North Carolina spent an average of about $73 million each of the past 10 years to acquire or protect 289,000 acres of wetlands, forests and farmland.
The analysis was conducted by the national nonprofit Trust for Public Land. The figures did not take into account how land and water conservation also stimulates the economy through job creation, taxes, tourism and other means, said Reid Wilson, director of the Conservation Trust for North Carolina.
"The state faces a pretty severe budget crisis, and the point we are trying to make with the study is that it is important for the state to keep investing in these funds because they provide tangible economic benefits to the state," Wilson said.
The state's four conservation trust funds already have suffered from the lagging economy.
The Clean Water Management Trust Fund and the Farmland Preservation Trust Fund are both dependent on legislative appropriations. Originally established in 1996 with a $100 million annual allocation, the Clean Water fund was drained by the governor in 2009 to fill budget gaps. The following year it was reinstated at half the original amount, Reid said. The Farmland Preservation Fund has been cut from $8 million to $2 million per year.
The National Heritage Trust Fund and the Parks and Recreation Trust Fund each receive dedicated income from the state deed stamp tax, but the downturn in real estate transaction has eroded those coffers as well.
The four trust funds devoted to farmland, water quality, heritage sites and recreational areas up make up less than one-half of one percent of the state's budget and are cost effective, said Margaret Lillard, communications director for the Conservation Trust for North Carolina.
"More and more as people are seeing how the sprawl of cities and development causes greater water run off and other environmental issues and they see the need to plan for growth — and that includes green spaces and green areas," said Lt. Gov. Walter Dalton, who spoke at a Conservation Summit meeting where the report was released Wednesday in Raleigh.
The N.C. Department of Commerce reports that more than 50 million tourists visit North Carolina each year, generating $1.2 billion in state and local tax revenue. Many of those visitors come specifically to enjoy the region's mountains, beaches and other natural places, Dalton added.
"We had 14 million visitors in our state parks last year thanks to our history and heritage," he said. "We must preserve our beauty. It's our greatest asset."