Working group proposed by Aseja - the Spanish Association of Park and Garden Companies . Aimed at stakeholders and organizations in rural areas.

PROPOSAL :

Study to Enhance the Value of Rural and Forest Green Spaces through Public-Private Partnership. May 2015

First.- Introduction
The National Rural Network is a platform comprised of key stakeholders in rural areas designed to strengthen alliances, share experiences, and create a shared framework for all stakeholders involved in the sustainable development of rural Spain.
The proposal to create a working group aims to study, quantify, and seek new management methods that enhance the economic, social, and environmental contribution of rural and forested green spaces to the Spanish economy and society, including activities complementary to those currently carried out.
The Group's promoter is ASEJA, and participation will be open to all Assembly members, with ASEJA acting as the Coordinator.

Second.- Objectives
The objective of this study is to analyze the enhancement of rural and forest green spaces through appropriate public-private management and exploitation.

Third.- Methodology
The following phases will be followed to carry out the study:
A) Search for information.
B) Analysis of the information.
C) Issuance of results and writing of the report.
D) Preparation of the Communication Plan.
A) Search for information
Information will be collected from the following sources:
Information provided by the rural network itself
To Public Sources: from Ministries, Autonomous Communities and City Councils.
To International Studies.
To other sources available.
B) Analysis of the information
The analysis will consist of:
³ Studies that demonstrate the importance of rural and forest green spaces in economic and environmental terms for the quality of life of residents.
³ Studies and references that allow for reasonable extrapolations.
³ Studies on the evolution of per capita income in municipalities close to rural developments where some action has been taken.
³ Analysis of forms of public-private collaboration in the management of rural and forest green spaces.
C) Issuance of results and writing of the report.
The result of the work will be a report that captures the importance of rural and forest green spaces in various areas:
Economic terms:
³ Potential for generating economic activity.
³ Economic valuation of rural green areas.
³ Contribution to the image and attractiveness of the rural environment.
The economic impact estimate would take into account not only the direct effects, that is, the wealth and employment generated by the activity itself in rural areas, but also the indirect and induced effects. The latter relate to the investments and expenses made in rural areas for the development of activities, which result in the generation of additional wealth and employment in the sectors that form part of their value chain. The quantification of the indirect and induced effects would be carried out using an input-output model from the Spanish National Accounts (input-output tables are a statistical tool that measures the flows of exchange between the different sectors of the economy, thus allowing the reconstruction of its value chain).
Social and environmental terms
³ Reactivation of employment and activity in rural areas.
³ Contribution to the fight against climate change.
³ Contribution to biodiversity, sustainability and energy savings.
Complementary activities that can be developed
³ General description of the measure and means necessary for its development.
³ Classification of measures based on their contribution to the socio-economic optimization of the investment.
³ Classification of measures based on the main vector used to maximize social benefit: employment, rural development, environmental, cultural and heritage.
Ultimately, the study proposes enhancing the value of rural and forest green spaces through new management formulas involving public-private collaboration. These new approaches, in addition to generating wealth for the primary sector, also boost the tertiary sector through leisure and recreational areas, improving the quality of life for residents and visitors. This is without forgetting the economic, environmental, and social consequences of abandoning rural green areas or the cost of regenerating spaces that have not been maintained or where such work has been carried out inadequately.
For the study, renowned consulting firms will be consulted, and funding will be sought through companies or associations interested in sponsoring the study and through any public grants that may be available.

D) Preparation of the Communication Plan.
The Communication Plan would seek to disseminate the resulting information, highlighting the importance of proper management and exploitation of rural and forested green spaces, and publishing it in various media to increase its dissemination. It would include a dissemination strategy for the study, identifying potential audiences.
E) Schedule of Actions:
a) Proposed Referral. May 2015
b) Approval of the Group's constitution (if applicable). June 2015
c) Meeting of the Group to prepare work. July 2015.
d) We anticipate a period of between 3 and 6 months for the preparation of a study of this nature. The following would be delivered as a result:
A report in Word format detailing the results, as well as the methodology, sources of information, and hypotheses used.
À An executive summary in Power Point.