Study: Poconos' and northeast PA streams account for $3 billion in economic benefits
Northeast Pennsylvania’s Exceptional Value and High Quality streams bring about $3 billion in economic benefits to the region, according to a report released by the Our Pocono Waters campaign on Monday.
Those stream designations are the highest two classifications given by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection. Just 2% of streams qualify as Exceptional Value, but 80% of those are in the Poconos, said Donna Kohut, the OPW campaign manager.
Much of the total benefit is accounted for with “$2.1 billion in ecosystem services, which, if we remove, we’d have to find ways to pay for these services,” Kohut said. “For example, riparian buffers along special designation streams provide a huge pollution reduction cost savings, $553 million in nutrient retention, and almost $3 million in sediment control.”
The report, which covers Carbon, Lackawanna, Luzerne, Monroe, Northampton, Pike and Wayne counties, also found that the recreation industry would take a hit without those riparian buffers.
“Each acre of natural riparian land provides potential for wildlife viewing, pheasant hunting, and recreational fishing, among other activities,” OPW said in a press release. “Avoiding the loss of any of these activities saves an estimated $14.3 million of recreational value each year.”
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Todd Burns, a member of the Brodhead chapter of Trout Unlimited, said he wasn’t surprised by the report.
“I know that when I’m here, I’ll stop for food, maybe top off the gas tank, and hit the local outfitter for things I need or forgot or probably just want. Many of my fellow anglers do the same thing, and over the course of the season that adds up, a lot,” he said.
He noted that Monroe, Pike and Wayne counties rank highly in terms of fishing licenses sold to non-residents. Exceptional Value streams are particularly important to anglers fishing for trout, which need cooler water to thrive.
“EV streams are cold and clear, teeming with insect life and wild and native trout. These waters attract not only anglers but also hikers, birdwatchers and other outdoor enthusiasts,” Burns said.
Sierra Fogal, a third-generation co-owner of Pocono Whitewater Rafting and Pocono Biking in Jim Thorpe, noted the importance of clean water to her family’s business. “If the river was still running black from coal mining, as it was known to have done, or known as a dump for development waste, we would not have it for our enjoyment or as an economic driver,” she said.
Fogal hopes that her young children can one day run the business for a fourth generation, a dream that she said will require protecting streams and developing responsibly.
“If the waterways feeding the Lehigh, and the Lehigh itself, are not protected, I risk losing my family business. And as a region, we risk losing this economic driver, an outdoor oasis, to more warehouses, she said. “If we pay attention to development and support responsible growth, we can keep the Poconos, and rivers and streams like the Lehigh, clean, while still allowing the area to grow and expand.”
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The economic study released by Our Pocono Waters followed a poll earlier this year that found that 97% of Pocono residents say it is important “to protect and maintain Exceptional Value streams from added commercial development.”
Stroud Township Supervisor Ed Cramer provided an example of how elected officials can do that, listing purchases the township has made using a quarter-percent earned income tax that supports open space.
Among the examples: the Brodhead Creek Heritage Center and ForEvergreen Nature Preserve, where Monday’s event releasing the report was held. The township partnered with Brodhead Watershed Association and Pocono Heritage Land Trust to turn a golf course into “a very nice buffer to the Brodhead Creek,” Cramer said.
“The health of our local economy, communities and the environment are all intertwined,” Kohut said. “Regardless of whether you fish, boat, hike, or simply just enjoy living in the area, residents and tourists alike understand that the Pocono region is defined by its outstanding rivers and streams.”
This article originally appeared on Pocono Record: Pocono 'Exceptional Value' streams bring billions to area
