The French Broad River Partnership - Part Three
by Jay Hawthorne and Anne Keller
TITLE: Economic Impact and Environmental Value Study of the French Broad River Watershed
AUTHORS: Anne Keller, Tim Fox, and John Hawthorne
PERMISSION to publish granted by the authors
Members of the French Broad River Partnership (FBRP) Business and Recreation Work Group realized early that having a measure of the economic impact of the FBR to the region would increase interest from businesses, government and community members in protecting the river and supporting appropriate economic development.
In 2019, the FBRP sought and received funding from the Community Foundation of Western North Carolina, DukePower, and the Ecology Wildlife Foundation Fund to hire an economist to study the river’s economic impact. Dr. Steve Ha, a well-known economist at Western Carolina University, was selected to perform the study across Avery, Buncombe, Madison, Transylvania, Mitchell, Yancey, Henderson, and Haywood counties. He prepared a plan that would include surveying businesses, river users, and community members in the region about the river and its value to them.
Surveying took place in February-March 2020, September-October 2020, and April-September 2021. Data collection was interrupted due to the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic. The surveyors asked visitors and residents about the value of the river to them, their activities, and their expenditures related to the river and visiting. Businesses were surveyed about their revenue which they could attribute to the river. The results were breathtaking and shared widely through the region via press, newspapers, emails and presentations (2022 Outdoor Economy Conference, Chambers of Commerce, City and County Councils and Committees).
Visitor spending in the region based on survey results is $2.7B annually from nearly seven million visitors to the eight-county region. Including indirect impacts from tourism, jobs created, and other elements, the total value of the FBR to the region is $3.8B annually, and it supports 38,500 jobs. River-related expenditures contribute over $500,000 to state, federal and local tax revenues. This is nearly three times as much as the Blue Ridge Parkway or the Great Smoky Mountain National Park contributes to the economy, and over twice as many jobs as either one supports!
As Charlie Jackson (leader of the Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project) said, “We appreciate the river as the defining characteristic of the entire region. It is eminently connected to everything, and it is a very visible connector within our community."
If you have questions about this story,contact Jay Hawthorne at: johnjhawthorne@gmail.com