Join us for a five-session online course starting January 28, to learn to tell the economic story of your trail, trail system or conserved lands. Early registration discount extended to 12/31!

Economic impact is an important selling point for funding private land conservation and trails. Reliable economic figures can help coalesce support among local and state officials, who are often gatekeepers to funding for easements and acquisition, maintenance, construction, and expansion. Understanding the range of economic benefits from your land conservation and trails program can also help you expand your circle of allies and partners to include economic developers and the local business community. And it can help build public support.

A tremendous body of studies has substantiated the economic value of trails, trail networks, and conserved wild and working landscapes. These can be useful in helping you make your case, but it’s even more compelling to speak directly about the benefits of your program in particular, your locally conserved lands, your trails.

You don’t need to hire an economist and wade through piles of complex data to understand the economic benefits of your programs. This course will help you learn to paint a broad, research and data-based picture of the economic effects of your trail system or conserved lands—or project the benefits of a proposed trail or conservation program. You will also learn how to tell that story to support advocacy, fundraising, conservation-based economic development, and stronger community relationships. You will learn and adapt a proven approach that engages community resources without hiring an economist, consultant or communications shop.