Agenda - Parks and Recreation Commission - 03/12/2020

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80% of home buyers say walking_ trails are a top comrnu- ty characteristic when choosing a new home. of home buyers say they would prefer a borne with a small yard close to a park to a borne with a large vard but no nearby parks_ 5 of home bu saysnearby 20/0 bike trails are an important deciding !ac ror when choosing a new home. 3 0,0z, of homeowners say ith.e r Ili neighborhood has too few parks and pia:wounds_ Recreation Impact on Economics Local and regional public park agencies directly provided more than 356,000 jobs in the United States during 2013 (NRPA 2). In 2015 alone, America's local public park and recreation agencies generated more than $154 billion in economic activity and their operations and capital spending supported more than 1.1 million jobs. (NRPA) (INSERT MINNESOTA STATS & GRAPHIC) . Local and regional park systems spent an estimated $22.4 billion on capital programs, leading to about $59.7 billion in economic activity, a contribution of $29.2 billion to the GDP, $19.6 billion in labor income and more than 340,000jobs (NRPA 2). In Minnesota alone, $2.8 billion in Economic Activity, and 22,411 jobs created (NRPA 2). The City of Ramsey is fortunate to have two Regional Parks and two Regional trails within its borders. A University of Minnesota study has found every dollar invested in conserving natural lands nets a return of $1.70 to $4.40. During the summer months, Minnesota's state parks generate $1 million every week from camping, vehicle permits, and sales of wood, pop, ice, and merchandise in state parks. Similarly, Minnesota's non -motorized trail users spend approximately $2.7 billion annually on trips and equipment, and support 37,000 jobs statewide. Communities located along state and regional trails are the primary beneficiaries of this economic activity. For example, the Paul Bunyan State Trail, Heartland State Trail, and Root River State Trail each generate between $1.2 million and $2.2 million for their local regions respectively. The majority of this spending — 90% or more — comes from trail users who reside outside the local economy, and thus are "new" dollars that would not otherwise be spent in the community. A similar study in Wisconsin found biking -related tourism and recreation contributes nearly a billion dollars to the state economy (MN Parks and Trails). While this is applicable directly for state parks, the City of Ramsey has the opportunity to see these impacts on a smaller scale with unique river recreation features. CITY OF RAMSEY PARK SYSTEM PLAN