Alternative Futures
for
Monroe County, Pennsylvania

Next Section
Previous Section
Contents
Map List

Evaluation of Economics
Is the Landscape of Monroe County Functioning Well?

We noted the economic connection of the natural landscape and tourism earlier, but there are also additional economic factors that must be assessed when considering Monroe County's future. The map 'Land Value' shows our analysis of current land value, which will change as a function of future policies and investments. The estimate of land value is derived from interviews with realtors in Monroe County, in which key influential factors were identified and weighted. The highest land value is in areas of greatest recent development, near interstate highway access points, adjacent to state and county roads, having sewer service or septic capability, and having important landscape amenities such as water access or scenic views.

The cost of public actions in conservation and infrastructure have both long-term benefit in providing public service and short term gains in providing jobs. Figure 30 shows how these will be estimated for the Future Alternatives. An interesting fact is that the United States Department of Labor estimates that for every billion dollars spent on public infrastructure, 12,000 job-years are created.