Northampton County has invested nearly $24 million in open space, parks, farmland preservation, greenways, and environmental restoration over nearly two decades through its Livable Landscapes program. The County engaged ESI and Michael Baker International to quantify the full range of environmental, economic, and public health benefits generated by these investments to demonstrate the measurable economic value that Northampton County’s open space and environmental assets deliver to residents, businesses, and the regional economy.
ESI applied a multi-layered analytical framework combining environmental economics, public health valuation, input-output modeling, and spatial analysis, in close collaboration with a broad Study Committee including county leadership, municipal representatives, conservation organizations, economic development partners, and state agencies who provided input through interviews, questionnaires, and community pop-up outreach. The team quantified the economic value of ecosystem services such as air purification, water filtration, carbon storage, and flood mitigation using established environmental valuation methodologies, with carbon storage assessed both annually and over lifetime horizons. Additional analytical components included:
- Proximity-based analysis estimating residential property value impacts from location near open space;
- IMPLAN input-output modeling of agricultural economic contributions;
- Production-based and consumption-based approaches to assessing the outdoor recreation economy; and
- Public health benefit calculations based on physical activity and mental health outcomes linked to parks access.
Demographic, consumer segmentation, and equity analyses were incorporated to align findings with population trends. All findings were expressed in economic terms to enable direct comparison across benefit categories.
The study found that Northampton County’s open space system delivers an estimated $435 million in annual ecosystem service benefits, $2.5 billion in lifetime carbon storage value, and nearly $13,000 in additional residential property value per home within one-quarter mile of open space. Benefits were also quantified for agricultural activities, healthcare cost savings, and the outdoor recreation economy. The study also found that access to water recreation, trailheads, parks, and open space exceeds statewide averages including for low-income residents, affirming the county’s commitment to equitable conservation investment.
ESI produced a designed, graphically rich Return on Environment report that has been used by county leadership as a public communications and advocacy tool in support of continued Livable Landscapes investment.