PA Environment Digest Blog: Kittatinny Ridge Landscape: New Report Shows Open Spaces, Natural Systems In Cumberland County Contribute Almost $1.3 Billion In Annual Economic Benefits, Savings

The Kittatinny Ridge Conservation Landscape released a new Cumberland County Return on Environment (ROE) Study demonstrating how open spaces and natural systems contribute almost $1.3 billion in benefits to the local economy, as well as to a lower cost of living and improved quality of life for citizens.

Highlights from the data collected in 2026 reflect the economic value derived from Cumberland County’s natural resources, watersheds, and land:

-- $600 million annual cost savings benefits provided by nature

-- $460 million annual revenue from outdoor recreation

-- $131 million annual savings due to stormwater and flood mitigation

-- $214 million annual savings in reduced healthcare costs

-- $300 million annual direct market value of agricultural products

Cumberland County has some of the most productive agricultural soils in the nation and has permanently protected more than 25,000 acres; is home to internationally recognized migration areas for birds and wildlife along the Kittatinny Ridge and South Mountain; and provides easy access to the Appalachian National Scenic Trail, Michaux State Forest, Kings Gap Environmental Education Center, Pine Grove Furnace State Park, and Cumberland Valley Rail Trail.

The ROE Study can help policymakers understand how to best allocate capital to allow sustainable growth while maintaining critical aspects of the environment to ensure the continued well-being of people and businesses located here.

Visit the Cumberland County Return on Environment (ROE) Study webpage to learn more. Click Here for a fact sheet.

Click Here for Kittatinny Ridge Return on Environment Studies.

Visit the Kittatinny Ridge Conservation Landscape website to learn more about this region.

Visit DCNR’s Conservation Landscape Initiatives webpage for more on similar programs around Pennsylvania.

Resource Links - Return On Environment:

-- The Economic Value Of Green Infrastructure: Calculating A Return On Investments In Parks, Watershed Restoration, Farmland BMPs, Open Spaces [PaEN]

-- PA Parks & Forests Foundation Blog: What Is The Economic Value Of Protected Open Space In Pennsylvania? [PaEN]

-- Meeting The Challenge Of Keeping Pennsylvania Clean, Green And Growing [PaEN]

-- Penn State Extension: Estimating the Value Of Forest Water Protection Programs

-- Berks Nature: New Data On The Annual Economic Value Of Nature Documents $853 Million In Savings, $938 Million In Outdoor Recreation Benefits To Citizens of Berks County [PaEN]

-- Ohio River Basin Alliance Releases Report Documenting $50 Billion In Annual Economic Benefits Of Natural Ecosystems In Ohio River Watershed - $1.725 Billion In PA [PaEN]

-- New Laurel Highlands Study Documents $3.7 Billion In Annual Economic, Environmental Benefits From Ecosystem Services [PaEN]