Opportunity Knocks
How the Proposed Lone Star Coastal National Recreation Area Could Attract Visitors, Boost Business, and Create Jobs
In December 2011, the National Parks Conservation Association, Houston Wilderness and Rice University’s SSPEED Center commissioned Harbinger Consulting Group to conduct a study to evaluate the potential economic impacts of the proposed Lone Star Coastal National Recreation Area in Brazoria, Chambers, Galveston and Matagorda counties along the upper Texas Gulf Coast.
Creating a Lone Star Coastal National Recreation Area would preserve critical coastal habitat and historical landmarks, protect the Upper Texas Gulf Coast from storm damage, and provide tremendous economic benefits for surrounding communities. According to NPCA’s new economic impact study, Lone Star Coastal NRA could triple visitation to the area and quadruple its economic impact in the first ten years of operation. By year ten, the site could attract 1,500,000 visitors, supporting $192 million in local sales and 5,260 local jobs.
This report examines the potential economic impacts of the proposed Lone Star Coastal National Recreation Area (LSCNRA) on Brazoria, Chambers, Galveston, and Matagorda counties. A national recreation area would offer the region’s communities significant economic advantages. At the same time, it could provide a framework for coordinated protection of critical natural flood control capacity and natural-resource- based industries along the upper Texas Gulf coast.
To learn more about the Lone Star Coastal National Recreation Area proposal, read "A New Model for Parks Could Help Revitalize Texas’ Gulf Coast" on the Park Advocate blog.
