Our U.S. coastal regions are economic enginesIn 2010, 39 percent of Americans lived in coastal shoreline counties.1 Coastal regions:
51SUPPORT
MILLION JOBS 2
45%OF THE NATION’SGROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT (GDP) 3
$70B I LL I O N IN INTERNATIONAL FISHERIES TRADE 4
B I L L I O N IN SALTWATER REC FISHING 5
$19.5GENERATE SUPPORT SUPPORT
U.S. coastal counties combined would rank #3 for Global GDP behind U.S. and China if seen as an individual country.7
B I LL I O N
IN LEISURE AND HOSPITALITY WAGES 6
$291PROVIDE
Healthy natural areas along our coastlines provide many benefits to local communities. They:
• Securefoodresourcesby conserving soil, controlling pestsandbenefitingpollinators.
• Providefortourismand recreationsuchasfishing, boating,huntingandbirding.
• Providecleanairandwater byfilteringpollutants.
• Protectcommunitiesfromflood damageandextremeweather.
• Supportandimprove commercial and recreationalfisheries.
Economists estimate the value of these benefits to local communities and the public to be over $100 billion a year.8
Cleanairandwater
Protectcommunities
Recreation
Support and improvefisheries
Secure food resources
Tourism
BENEFITS OF HEALTHY COASTLINES
1
Every$1theCoastalPrograminvestedinaproject leveraged $6.86intotalprojectfunding,which created $12.78 in economic returns.
Nursery $$ OUTFLOWS
Money Paid to Nursery for Trees
Nursery Employee $$ OUTFLOWS
BILLS SHOPPING TAXES
Grocery Store $$ OUTFLOWS
EXPENSES WAGES TAXES
EXPENSES WAGES TAXES
Grocery Employee $$ OUTFLOWS
BILLS SHOPPING TAXES
$$
Continuous Cycle
The Local Multiplier Effect of TREE PLANTING
331jobscreatedin4statesalone.
$12.78$6.86$1
JOBS FROM SELECTED COASTAL PROGRAM PROJECTS
147 56 73 55
ALASKA CALIFORNIA FLORIDARHODE ISLAND
ECONOMIC RETURNS
Numbers at a glance FY 2011
473 JOBS CREATED
This reflects spending for on-the-ground restoration projects completed in FY 2011. Program spending for protection activities and staff time to support technical assistance is not included.
$10M $20M $30M$0
Spendingleveragedfromprojectpartners $16.4 million
Combinedtotalprojectspending $19.2 million
Total economic stimulus $35.6 million
CoastalProgramspending $2.8 million nationally
$40M
Coastal Program: Partners for voluntary restorationTheCoastalProgramworkswithcommunitiesandpartnerstodoon-the-groundprojectsthatprotectandrestorevitalwildlifehabitat.ItisoneoftheU.S.FishandWildlifeService’smosteffectiverecoveryprograms,dueinlargeparttotheprojectdesignandtechnicalassistancethatpartnersreceiveinadditiontoprojectfunds.Projectsincluderemovinginvasivespecies,replantingsalt marsh and seagrasses, and installing living shorelines to prevent erosion.
Since its beginning, the Coastal Program has:
• Partneredwithmorethan5,000federal,tribal,stateandlocalagencies, non-governmentalorganizations,corporationsandprivatelandowners.
• Restored300,616acresofwetland,135,033acresofuplandand2,160 milesofstreamhabitat.
• Protectedmorethantwomillionacresofcoastalhabitat.
• Provided technical assistance to a diverse range of conservation partners.
Restoration: healthy coasts, healthy economies
Coastal Program projects create jobs and provide income in coastal communities. Here’s how it works:
1. Projectfundsleveragenon-federalfundsfromotherpartners.
2.Projectspendingsupportslocalbusinesses.
3.Businesseshireandpayemployees.
4.Workersandbusinessesspendmoneyinthelocaleconomy.
5. Spending produces local tax revenues.
2
Development has dramatically altered the shoreline of San Diego Bay over the past 150 years. Dredging and filling has led to the loss of:
• 70%ofthebay’ssaltmarshes
• 84%oftheintertidalmudflats
• 42%oftheshallowsubtidalhabitat
• Mostofthewetlandsanduplandhabitats
ThegoaloftheSouthSanDiegoBayprojectwastoreversethistrend.Theprojectrestoredandenhancedatotalof300acresofestuarinehabitatsatthreedifferentsitesinSouthSanDiegoBay.
ThelargestprojectwasattheWesternSaltPonds, where223acreswererestored.Thisareaispartofthe SanDiegoBayNationalWildlifeRefuge.Stepsincluded:
• Takingpondsoutofsaltproduction
• Dredgingtocreatearangeofhabitats
• Breachingtoallowtidestobringinwater
• Plantingwithnativeplants
SouthSanDiegoBayisvitalhabitatforbirds.TheAmericanBirdConservancydeclareditaGloballyImportantBirdArea.Morethan90speciesofmigratoryandresidentbirdsarebenefitingfromtheproject.
Justdaysaftertheprojectwasfinished,tensofthousandsofshorebirdsstartedusingthenewintertidalhabitat.Avocets,stilts, plovers, pelicans, heron and more gathered to roost andtoeatfish.The Active TimesrankedSanDiego’sBayshoreBikewayasthebestbikepathinthenation.
TheprojectwasrecognizedbytheAdministrationwiththe prestigiousCoastalAmericaPartnershipAward.Projectpartners included 11 different federal, state and local agencies, alongwithnonprofitorganizations.TheCoastalProgramworkedwithpartnersongrantwriting,environmentalassessment,funding,projectdesignandimplementation.
South San Diego Bay project creates critical bird habitat and adds 130 jobs and $13.4million to local economy
S A N D I E G O B AY, C A L I F O R N I A
“
“
“More than 1/3 of wildlife
refuges are in coastal
areas and are local
economic engines. The
Coastal Program is vital
in forwarding the mission
of the refuge system and
makes very good economic
and environmental sense.”
DAVIDHOUGHTON,PRESIDENT, NATIONALWILDLIFEREFUGEASSOCIATION
Agriculture ServiceConstructionTradeOther
130 JOBS
61.4
32.9 24.1
8.7
3.1
South San Diego Bay project JOBS ADDED
“
“
3
Nutria are invasive South American rodents. They are wreaking havoc in wetlands across the United States.
These large rodents eat plant roots in marshlands. Without root mats to anchor wetland grasses, open water takes the place of marshes. This destroys habitat for striped bass, blue crabs and other commercial species.
NutriawereimportedintoDorchesterCounty,Maryland, in1943fortheirfur.Theyhavenonaturalpredators.
ThenutriapopulationinMarylandhasexploded.In1968therewerelessthan150animalson10,000acresoftheBlackwaterNationalWildlifeRefuge.In1998therewereasmanyas50,000nutria.Thedamageissevere:Blackwaterhaslosthalfofitswetlandssincenutriaarrived.
TheMarylandNutriaProjectaimstoeradicatenutriaandrestore the state’s coastal marshes. It is a partnership betweentheU.S.FishandWildlifeServiceand27federal,stateandprivatepartners.TheServicehasworkedwithpartnersonresearch,planning,coordinationandprojectmanagement. The Nutria Eradication and Control Act of 2003authorizedfunding.
Maryland project removes invasive nutria and adds 55 jobs and $2.5million to local economy
Since2000,nutriahavebeenremovedfromover150,000acresofpublicandprivatelandinDorchesterCounty,Maryland.Strategiesincludetrapping,trackingandsearchestofindelusiveanimals.
Trapping and other methods used to manage nutria are verylaborintensive,leadingtomanyjobs.Workersandtheirfamiliesspendmoreoftheirmoneyonservicesandretailgoodsthanbusinessesdo.Thishasalargeimpactonthelocaleconomy.
TheMarylandNutriaProjecthasresultedin$2,560,000inlocalspendingand55muchneededjobs.
“
“
“Tudor Farms is over 6,500
acres, of which 2,000 acres
are marshland. Without the
removal of the nutria on our
property, our marshes would
be gone forever! We are a
great supporter of this project
financially and by serving
on the management advisory
board for the past 12 years.”
KEVINCOMPTON,OWNEROFTUDORFARMS
“
“
$1.4M $2.5M55 JOBS
Program Input
LocalSpending
C H E S A P E A K E B AY, MA R Y L A N D
4
The waters of Puget Sound and the Northwest Straits contain hundreds of tons of derelict fishing gear. This includes nets, lines, crab and shrimp traps and other equipment that has been abandoned or lost from fishing vessels. Modern nets and fishing line are made of plastic materials that may take decades, even centuries, to decompose in water.
Derelictfishinggearposesmanyproblemsforpeople,fishandmarineanimals:
• Abandonednetscontinuetocatchfish,marine mammalsandbirds,woundingorkillingthem.
• Divershavebecomeentangledanddrowned.
• Boatpropellersandrudderscanbesnagged and damaged.
Since2002theNorthwestStraitsFoundationhasbeenremovingderelictfishinggearfromPugetSoundandotherWashingtonstatewaters.AmajorfocusistheSanJuanIslands,anareaoffastcurrents,rocksandreefsthatsnag large amounts of gear.
Dungenesscrabistheprimaryspeciestrappedandkilledinabandonedcrabpots.TherearetensofthousandsofabandonedcrabpotsinPugetSound.ThetotalannuallossofDungenesscrabfromthederelictpotsisestimatedat372,000crab,withavalueatthedockof
$1.2million.Thislossisabout30to40percentoftheaverageannualcommercialcatchofDungenesscrabinPugetSound.9
Salmon,rockfishandlingcodhavebeenfoundinderelictfishingnets.Allareimportantcommercialandrecreationalfish.Eachderelictnetmaykillfishandshellfishworth$1,760 overits10-yearlifespan.Asof2007,thederelictnetsremovedtodatehadkilledfishandshellfishworthmorethan$1milliondollars.Otherbenefitstoremovingderelictfishinggearincludereducedthreatstohumansafetyandboating.10
A$20,000investmentbytheU.S.FishandWildlifeServicewasmatchedbytheNationalOceanicandAtmosphericAdministration.Theinitialinvestmentledto$51,000ineconomicoutputinPugetSound.
Puget Sound project removes lost or abandoned fishing gear, returning value to fishing industry
“
“
“The Coastal Program
partners with state agencies
to support implementation
of the National Fish Habitat
Partnership and State
Wildlife Action Plans
to conserve sport- and
at-risk fish species.”
RONREGAN,EXECUTIVEDIRECTOR,ASSOCIATIONOFFISH&WILDLIFEAGENCIES
“
“
P U G E T S O U N D, WA S H I N G TO N
1 LOST NET
4.4K CRAB
TRAPPED/KILLED
$20K VALUE LOST
FISH
ING
NETS
CRAB
POT
S
12K POTS LOST PER YEAR
179K CRAB
TRAPPED/KILLED
$600K VALUE LOST
LOST VALUE TO CRAB FISHERY 11, 12
5
AGRICULTURERemoving invasive species
$111,200
CONSTRUCTIONImproving island’s erosion protection
$165,200
MININGMoving sand and soil for wave break structure
$39,000
Bird Island is a prime water bird rookery. It is home to hundreds of birds, including herons, egrets, ibis and pelicans.In2012onehundredpairsofwoodstorks,a federally listed endangered species, nested on the island. The Indian River National Estuary Program calls it “one of the most important bird nesting colonies in South Florida.”
Theisland’seasternshorelineisconstantlywashingaway.BoatscruisebyintheIntracoastalWaterway,only500feetaway,leavingwakesthaterodetheshoreline.
Tomakemattersworse,hurricanesin2004and2005uprootedmanyofthematuremangroves.Morethan halfoftheisland’scanopycoverhasbeenlost.
Thisprojectbuiltonpriorattemptstostabilizetheshoreline.Amongtheproject’sfeatures:
• Restorednativemangrovevegetationin1-1/2acres ofthetwo-acreisland.
• Builtapermanentwavebreakstructuretostabilize about800feetofshoreline.
• Addedinterpretivesignagetoeducateboatersand protect the island.
Goodnews:roseatespoonbillsandgreatwhiteheronssuccessfullynestedonBirdIslandin2012.Thisisthefirst
Bird Island project protects water birds and adds $742,000 to Florida economy
recordednestingofeitherspeciesinMartinCounty,Florida.
Theprojectinvolvedworkersfromseveraldifferentindustries,adding$742,000tothelocaleconomy.Overtime,restorationofBirdIslandislikelytoattractbirdwatchers,increasingtourismdollars.TheCoastalProgram’sinvestmentof$76,000leveraged$414,000infundingfromotherprojectpartners.
“
“
“
“
“Our lands are so vulnerable.
We [land trusts] work to
protect habitat and the Coastal
Program is phenomenal at
assisting us with restoring
the property when the time
comes.”
SCOTTFISHER,PRESIDENT, HAWAIIAN ISLANDS LAND TRUST
SERVICEProject planning
$328,300
$100,000 $200,000 $300,000$0
MANUFACTURINGInterpretive signs, no trespassing signs
$33,900
INDUSTRIES DIRECTLY INVOLVED IN BIRD ISLAND PROJECT
Other economic impacts: Transportation – $29,000; Trade – $33,200; Government – $2,600
B I R D I S L A N D, F LO R I DA
6
“
ENDNOTES1 http://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/population.html2 http://stateofthecoast.noaa.gov/coastal_economy/welcome.html3 http://stateofthecoast.noaa.gov/coastal_economy/welcome.html4 http://stateofthecoast.noaa.gov/com_fishing/welcome.html5 http://stateofthecoast.noaa.gov/rec_fishing/welcome.html6 http://www.oceaneconomics.org/Market/coastal/coastalEcon.asp7 http://stateofthecoast.noaa.gov/coastal_economy/welcome.html8 http://stateofthecoast.noaa.gov/coastal_economy/nonmarket.html9 http://www.nwstraits.org/uploads/pdf/Derelict%20Gear%20Cost Benefit%20Analysis%202007.pdf10 http://www.nwstraits.org/uploads/pdf/Derelict%20Gear%20Cost Benefit%20Analysis%202007.pdf11 http://www.derelictgear.org/Impact.aspx12 http://www.derelictgear.org/Research.aspx
Unlessreferencedseparately,alldatainthisreportarefrom“RestorationReturns:TheContributionofPartnersforFishandWildlifeProgramand CoastalProgramRestorationProjectstoLocalU.S.Economies,”byDrewLaughland,LinhPhuandJoeMilmoe,U.S.FishandWildlifeService,2014.
PHOTOCREDITSCover:Largephoto–JoeMilmoe|Pg5:Fisherman–N.Rahaim Pg4:Nutriaphoto–AloisStaudacher
Restore America’s Estuaries 2300 Clarendon Blvd, Suite 603 | Arlington, VA 22201 703.524.0248 | www.estuaries.org
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“CoastalProgramstaffarecriticalpartnersforlocalrestorationeffortsduringeveryproject phase,fromhelpingwithdesigntoleveragingadditionalpartners.USFWSinvolvement resultsinhealthiercoastalhabitatandmajoreconomicbenefitstolocalcommunities.” – Jeff Benoit, President and CEO, Restore America’s Estuaries