Commission Agenda Item No. 9
Presenter: Brent Leisure
(George Bristol)

Briefing
Study of the Economic Impact of State Parks
November 6, 2014

I.  Executive Summary: State Parks Director Brent Leisure along with George Bristol, (Chairman of the State Parks Advisory Committee) will provide an overview on the recently produced study of the economic impact of state parks by Dr. John Crompton of Texas A&M University.

II. Discussion: The value of state parks includes conservation of natural and cultural resources, better public health and providing destinations for tourism and recreation.  State parks also provide economic benefits to local communities.  Dr. John Crompton, a recognized expert in the economics of parks has utilized information collected from thousands of Texas state park visitors to calculate the economic impact of parks to nearby communities.

The study was conducted in the spring and summer months of 2014. Dr. Crompton has worked with the State Parks division to measure the economic impact of the state park system in Texas. Using data collected from park visitors at more than 30 sites across the state, the study computes the effects of spending by park users on local communities.