Economic Impacts of Parks, Rivers, Trails and Greenways

AcknowledgementsI am grateful to many individuals and organizations for making this project possible. Iwould like to give my deepest thanks to Chris Reynolds for welcoming me as aDomesticCorps fellow at the Ross School of Business, and to Ray Murray at the NationalPark Service who provided the impetus and direction for this effort. I would also like tothank all the staff that I worked with at NPS- in Oakland, CA, Washington, DC, and all theplaces around the country that I called on the phone. They took time out of their busyschedule to help me learn the ropes, feel like part of the team and be successful. Finally, Iwould be remiss if I didn’t send a special thank you to Richard Bole, anotherDomesticCorps fellow, who kept my summer days at NPS uniquely lively.A debt of gratitude also goes to the faculty members of my committee, Professors MichaelR. Moore and Michael J. Wiley. Professor Moore provided his expertise throughout thisproject and was a pleasure to work with. Professor Wiley was an extraordinarily supportiveadvisor, graciously spending time over the past three years discussing aquatics,environmental management and my ever-changing career interests.Lastly, my heartfelt appreciation goes to my family, friends, and the entire CEMPcommunity for their unending confidence in my abilities throughout this journey. It hasbeen an incredible experience and I thank you all for being part of it!iii