Article • Values Embodied in Geoheritage

Economic Value

historic copper mill building
Kennicott copper mill buildings at Wrangell St. Elias National Park and Preserve, Alaska.

NPS Photo by Neal Herbert.

Introduction

Geologic heritage sites are valuable components of local and national economies. Tourism to sites creates needs for travel, lodging, food service, and other hospitality and recreation-based businesses in local communities. In 2013, more than 273 million visitors to all National Park Service areas spent more than $14.6 billion in communities near these sites, supporting nearly 200,000 local jobs and contributing $26.5 billion to the economy of the United States (see Cullinane Thomas et al. 2014). The federal budget for the National Park Service is about $2.7 billion, meaning that every dollar invested in the national parks by taxpayers creates nearly $10 in economic activity.

Geologic heritage sites may also have direct economic value associated with their past or present geologic resources (precious metals such as gold and silver) and energy resources (coal, oil, and natural gas). Abandoned mineral lands represent one type of geologic heritage feature originally valued primarily for economic opportunities. For example, between 1911 and 1938, the Kennecott Copper Mine, now a historic landmark within Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve in Alaska, produced more than $200 million worth of copper and supported a community of hundreds of people. Past mining sites tell us much about the economic forces that lured Europeans and others to North America, drove westward expansion, built the nation’s cities, and continue to support our society.

Economic Value at a Glance


Featured Links

Park Stories

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  • Lake surrounded by mountains

    Where once thousands of gold rush stampeders off-loaded tons of supplies, today's travelers arrive in Skagway on cruise ships, ferry boats, RVs or airplanes. Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park invites you to explore this “Gateway to the Klondike.” This boomtown of 1897-98 offers colorful historic buildings, guided tours, and local characters that help bring this history back to life.

  • Denali National Park & Preserve

    Visitor Spending and the Local Economy

    Store fronts near Denali National Park

    Are National Parks good or bad for the local economy? Read about how much Denali National Park visitors spend in the local area.

  • James A Garfield National Historic Site

    Garfield Rocks! (Part I)

    a picture of a horse barn

    If you've ever visited the Garfield Memorial in Lake View Cemetery you've seen Berea Sandstone. Berea Sandstone is well-known due to its extensive quarrying history and its use in many historic structures not only locally, but around the United States.


Part of a series of articles titled Values Embodied in Geoheritage.

Last updated: December 21, 2020