Virginia Evergreen Winter 2018

economic impacts tended to be some- what more geographically concen- trated in the Southside region and communities with pulp and paper mills such as Alleghany County and Covington City. The total economic impact of agricul- ture and forestry-related industry ex- ports is approximately 47,000 jobs, $4.6 billion in value-added, and nearly $9 billion in total output. One in nine Virginia farm jobs can be at- tributed to these international ex- ports. Results drawn from other recent stud- ies indicate that Virginia agritourism and forest recreation are important components of the state’s tourism spending and economic impact, ac- counting for millions of visitors and billions of dollars of tourism-related spending and economic impact each year. Agriculture and forestry landscapes provide substantial environmental and other societal benefits. Forests improve air and water quality, miti- gate flood vulnerability, provide wildlife habitat, and aid biodiversity. Rural landscapes provide scenic amenities that contribute to the qual- ity of life. The value of air and water environmental services provided by farmland and forestland likely amounts to at least several billion dollars each year. Agriculture The total impact of agriculture-re- lated industries was approximately $70 billion in total industry output, 334,300 jobs, and $36.2 billion in value-added. Forestry The forestry sector had a total impact of over $21 billion in total industry output, approximately Terance J Rephann, Ph.D., May 2017, Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service, University of Virginia

Waters of the United States Rule

Economic Impact of Virginia’s Ag The Economic Impact of Virginia’s Agriculture and Forest Industries STUDY HIGHLIGHTS The total economic impact of agricul- ture and forestry-related industries in Virginia was over $91 billion in total industry output in 2015, the base year used for this study. The total employ- ment impact was 442,260 employees, representing 8.7 percent of total state employment. The total value-added impact was $45.5 billion, which made up 9.5 percent of state gross do- mestic product. Every job created in agriculture and forestry-related industries re- sults in another 1.7 jobs in the Vir- ginia economy. Every dollar gener- ated in value-added results in an- other $1.15 value-added in the Vir- ginia economy. The impacts of agriculture and for- estry-related industries are felt throughout Virginia’s economy. The largest effects are in the directly af- fected agriculture, forestry, and man- ufacturing industries. However, agri- culture and forestry stimulate activity elsewhere in the economy through the effects of industry purchases and subsequent rounds of indirect and in- duced spending. Through these cu- mulative effects, agriculture and for- estry-related industries affect every sector. Every Virginia locality is touched by agriculture and forestry indus- tries . Total employment impacts ex- ceeded 1,000 jobs for sixty-two lo- calities. Agricultural economic im- pacts were geographically diffuse. The largest clusters of agricultural- related industry employment impact were located in the Shenandoah Val- ley, Northern Virginia, and Central Virginia. The largest forestry-related

NALP is pleased that today EPA and the US Army Corps of Engi- neers released a proposed rule to rescind the Obama Administra- tion’s Clean Water Rule, also known as the Waters of the United States (WOTUS) Rule. The proposed rule would also re-cod- ify the regulatory text that existed prior to 2015. According to EPA and the Corps, this proposed rule is in- tended to provide certainty during an interim period while the agencies work to craft a “substantive re-evalu- ation of the definition of ‘waters of the United States.’" The agencies in- tend for the proposed rule to be “im- plemented in accordance with Su- preme Court decisions, agency guid- ance, and longstanding practice,” ac- cording to an EPA press release. Today’s proposal follows Presiden- tial Trump’s February Executive Or- der on "Restoring the Rule of Law, Federalism, and Economic Growth by Reviewing the 'Waters of the United States' Rule," which states that it is in the national interest to pro- tect our nation’s navigable waters from pollution, while also promoting economic growth and minimizing regulatory uncertainty. NALP opposed the 2015 WOTUS rule because of the regulatory uncer- tainties and liabilities that it created for our members. The rule expanded the scope of waters subject to federal regulation and permit. National Association of Landscape Professionals, Herndon, VA 20170, 800-395-2522

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