New England study: land conservation boosts employment, especially in rural areas

A newly published study of New England found that an increase in land conservation--permanently protecting land from development--leads to increases in employment rates, especially in rural areas.

"The study, published today in Conservation Biology, is the first of its kind, estimating the local net impacts of both private and public land conservation over 25 years (1990-2015) across 1500 cities and towns that are home to 99.97% of New England's population," Clarisse Hart writes in a Harvard University press release.

Researchers from Amherst College, Harvard Forest, the Highstead Foundation, and Boston University found that employment increased within five years of implementing land protections, even when controlling for other associated factors, Hart reports.

"The authors say gains in employment following increases in conservation may be driven by new jobs in tourism and recreation--a sector that provides 52 billion dollars a year in direct spending, according to estimates by the Outdoor Industry Association," Hart reports. "The authors also point to the preservation of jobs in areas with commercial timberlands that support timber harvests, non-timber forest products such as maple syrup, and public access and recreational activities."