Program Open Space is good for business and for the overall quality of life in Maryland and its attractive residential communities. Home values tend to increase faster around parks and protected open space than comparable homes in other settings. New businesses prefer to locate in communities with parks and quality environments. The boating industry in Maryland, with 194,000 registered vessels, is one of the strongest on the East Coast, and relies heavily on state and local parks funded by Program Open Space and Waterway Improvement Fund grants. Maryland s forest product industry remains the fifth largest in the state and continues to be the primary employer in western Maryland and the second most important on the Eastern Shore.
Tourism is one of Maryland s top industries.
Historical structures, landscapes, parks and forests supported by Program Open Space are essential to the continued growth of this sector of Maryland s economy. Congress reported that a city s quality of life is more important than purely business-related factors when it comes to attracting new businesses. Businesses which move to an area because of tax incentives tend to leave as soon as the incentives expire. Businesses drawn to an area because of its quality of life remain long term residents and taxpayers.