Perhaps they were worried about getting caught up in the collective national shrug that seems to have greeted the sequester, but the National Park Service released a report last week outlining the economic benefits of tourism to national parks.
Non-local national park visitors in California spent nearly $1.2 billion in 2011, more than any other state or the District of Columbia. National parks tourism was credited with creating almost 18,000 jobs statewide and $690 million in labor income, according to the report.
Locally, the report claims that 31,000 people spent $2.1 million while visiting the John Muir National Historic Site in 2011. The site is responsible for 26 jobs and for dropping $1.5 million on the local economy that otherwise wouldn't have existed, according to the report.
Spending directly associated with national parks happens within a 60-mile radius around each park, known as the local region.
Visitor spending figures were calculated using the Money Generation Model version 2, which uses number of park visits and spending averages from park visitor surveys, as well as local and national economic multipliers. Dollars spent, however, does not include the cost of park fees.
This is a beautiful time of year to visit the estate. When was the last time you visited the John Muir National Historic Site? What's your favorite national park memory?
Patch editor Jennifer Squires contributed to this report.
