Economic Contribution Analysis of Urban and Community Forestry in the Southern United States in 2019

Abstract

Abstract As populations in developing areas continue to increase in recent years, urban and community forestry (U&CF) has received considerable attention due to the ecological, social, and economic significance of trees and green landscapes in urban and semi-urban settings. Based on a regional survey of private, public, and nonprofit businesses and agencies involved in U&CF, we first developed a complete profile of the U&CF sector in the southern United States (SUS) and then estimated the economic contribution of U&CF businesses and activities to the thirteen-state regional economy. We estimated that, in 2019, U&CF in the SUS contributed about $23.2 billion in value added with a total jobs support of over 349,200. Based on the current economic contributions and the number of cities and towns in each state, we also categorized thirteen states into four different tiers. Results not only underscore the economic significance of U&CF businesses and activities in the SUS, but also serve as a baseline to track future trends and performance of U&CF in terms of various business metrics.