State, Local Governments Increase Green Spending

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The U.S. Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances says public spending protecting natural resources jumped from $27.7 billion in 2014 to $32.3B in 2018. These data show increased government funding of conservation and management of resources, such as fish, game, forestry, soil, water, and electric energy.

Some specific preservation programs include protection of soil and water resources, including controlling beach erosion, managing dams to prevent floods, educating the public about conservation and generating hydroelectric energy. While expenditures rose, a five-year comparison (from 2016 to 2020) showed a 5.7% decline in part-time employment and a 0.3% decrease in full-time employment.

“Environmentalists have long been pushing the government, consumers and corporations to protect our planet, promoting everything from tougher environmental standards to paperless communications and environmentally friendly products like reusable shopping sacks,” said Lynda Lee, a supervisory statistician in the Census Bureau’s Economic Management Division. “Government is stepping up. The United States just hosted a global climate change summit coinciding with Earth Day and committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 50%-52% below its 2005 emissions levels by 2030,” said Lee.

The survey also details government expenditures on caring for the environment. According to the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll, in March 2020 there were 189,668 employees in the natural resources functions of state and local governments: 83% (156,768) were full-time and 17% (32,900) part-time.

According to the American Community Survey (ACS), which shows employment data by sex, women held approximately 24% of the nation’s farming, fishing, and forestry sector jobs in 2019. It looks like reduce, reuse and recycle are here to stay and the Census Bureau is tracking all data relating to conservation. The Census Bureau’s State and Local Governments Snapshot tool provides easy access.