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Six good reasons why preserving Remington Woods makes good economic sense.
- Parks & open space often increase the value of nearby properties, along with property tax revenue.
- Parks and open space attract businesses and trained employees in search of a high quality of life.
- Parks and open space attract tourists and boost recreation spending.
- Parks and open space reduce obesity and health card costs by supporting exercise and recreation.
- Working lands, such as farms and forests, usually contribute more money to a community than the cost of the services
they require.
- Conserved open space helps safeguard drinking water, clean the air, and prevent flooding - services provided more expensively
by other means.
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Conservation and Global Warming
Planting trees that will remove CO2 from the air as they grow
is just one way that conservation can help meet the challenge of global climate change. Others include:
- Preventing deforestation, a major source of atmospheric CO2
- Using working-forest conservation easements to prevent forest development and promote
long-term sustainable forestry
- Conserving land for greenways and trails that support nonmotorized transportation,
reducing the release of CO2 from motor vehicles
- Conserving parks and green spaces and devising green space plans that contribute
to the creation of livable, compact communities where people drive less to meet daily needs
With climate changes already under way, conservation also has a role to play in protecting
communities and wildlife from some of global warming's most damaging effects. These include:
- Preserving coastal areas...to blunt the effect of ocean-born storms on inland towns
and cities
- Conserving land that wildlife will need as habitat in a world changed by global
warming
And, of course, parks and protected lands bring a host of benefits beyond reducing
atmospheric CO2. Among these are cleaner drinking water, opportunities for recreation and health-promoting
exercise, the economic benefits associated with parks and open space, and the preservation of scenic and historic landscapes.
From Land & People Magazine, The Trust for
Public Land, Volume 19, Number 2, Fall 2007
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Remington Woods, Bridgeport & Stratford, Connecticut, USA
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