The Joint Legislative Budget and Finance Committee Tuesday released reports on the economic impact of water trails in Pennsylvania and a report on the benefits and cost of state forest sustainability certification.

Water Trails

The Joint Committee surveyed four of the 21 water trails in Pennsylvania to determine their local impact on the economy.  The trails surveyed were in Schuylkill, Susquehanna-North Branch, Juniata and the Three Rivers.

The Committee found the total economic impact of the four trails during a 6 week period was $731,000 and the value added to the economy by visitor activity was $593,000.  The four trails generated the equivalent of 11 full-time, year-round jobs.

Click Here for a full copy of the report.  Click Here for a summary.

Forest Certification

The report by the Joint Committee found the cost of maintaining the sustainable forest certification for Pennsylvania’s 2.1 million acres of state forests was about one cent per acre per year while the state eared a premium of about $7.7 million for selling timber to sustainable forest certified buyers.

The report says demand is likely to increase in the future for sustainable forest certified timber as the European Union and green building requirements are used for construction in the future.

Click Here for a full copy of the report.  Click Here for a summary.

11/19/2012