Study: Coast vital to America’s economy Our U.S. coastal regions are economic engines; common sense and extensive research have confirmed this over and over again. However, a fresh look at new information is always welcome. Restore America’s Estuaries has prepared a summary of U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service’s recent report, “Restoration Returns.” It focuses on the loss of wetlands, but includes coastal statistics. The key element of this report is that healthy natural areas along our coastlines benefit local communities by: • Protecting communities from flood damage and extreme weather. • Supporting and improving commercial and recreational fisheries. Restoring open space and wildlife that support recreation, tourism, and the culture of coastal communities. • Conserving soil, controlling pests and benefiting pollinators. • Providing clean air and water by filtering pollutants. In addition, they provide strong national economic benefits. Answer the questions below to better understand the coast’s importance to America’s economy. 1. If U.S. coastal counties combined, where would they rank for Global Gross National Product if they were seen as an individual country? A. #3, right behind the U.S. and China. B. #8, right behind Germany. C. #13, right behind South Korea. Answer: A. Coastal counties are important economic engines, but are often overlooked because they are a portion of so many states. 2. What percentage of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) do coastal regions provide? A. 75% B. 20% C. 45% Answer: C. Coastal counties provide nearly half of America’s GDP. 3. America’s coastal regions provide how many million jobs? A. 100 million jobs B. 51 million jobs C. 26 million jobs Answer: B. And that’s a low estimate. Those 51 million jobs do not include those multiplier jobs such as services and materials needed by those firms. 4. How much in wages do coastal counties provide in the hospitality and tourism industry (not overall)? A. $291 billion B. $114 billion C. 199 billion Answer: A. Coastal communities provide nearly $300 billion in wages in the hospitality and tourism industry. 5. Fishing is a boon to the economy in what way? A. Commercial fishing brings in $70 billion in international trade. B. Saltwater recreational fishing provides $19.5 billion. C. All of the above. D. None of the above. Answer: C. All of the above. Fishing brings in nearly $100 billion. For more information on this report, go to fws.gov/home/restoration_returns.html.
Posted on: Tue, 24 Jun 2014 17:08:42 +0000
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