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PA Gardens urges committee to fund statewide coordination for tourism, conservation and workforce
Summary
Speakers from PA Gardens told the Tourism & Economic & Recreational Development committee that public gardens and related institutions draw millions of visits annually, support hundreds of jobs and merit coordinated state investment in marketing, workforce programs and conservation partnerships.
HARRISBURG — Representatives of Pennsylvania’s public gardens told the Tourism & Economic & Recreational Development informational meeting that the state could capture far greater economic, conservation and workforce benefits by coordinating marketing, training and modest targeted funding across the sector.
"Pennsylvania helped invent public gardens," Nancy Goldenberg, co‑chair of the PA Gardens coalition and a representative of Laurel Hill Cemetery, told the committee. She said PA Gardens members attract roughly 4.2 million visits a year, steward thousands of acres and operate a combined budget that, panelists said, supports the Commonwealth’s tourism and conservation goals.
Matt Rader, president and CEO of the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, emphasized the industry’s measurable economic impact. "The Philadelphia Flower Show directly supports more than 600 jobs and generates economic impact of about $60 million in metropolitan Philadelphia," Rader said, and argued that similar coordination statewide could expand those benefits year‑round.
Longwood Gardens’ Nick Dadezio pointed to two major platforms in 2027 — PHS’s bicentennial and the American Public Gardens Association conference — as opportunities to showcase Pennsylvania’s horticultural sector. "When leaders arrive, they should find a Commonwealth that has invested in its horticulture sector and is ready to show the world what Pennsylvania looks like," Dadezio said, noting Longwood welcomes about 1.8 million visitors annually.
Casey Sklar of the Arboretum at Penn State outlined workforce and education efforts tied to the Commonwealth Arboreta Network and Penn State Cooperative Extension. He provided program and sector statistics, including that horticultural sales were about $1 billion in 2022 and that the sector spent roughly $390 million on labor in recent reporting. Sklar called for a statewide apprenticeship framework and more consistent state support for public gardens that function as living museums, research sites and workforce training centers.
Committee members pressed the panel on specifics. Representative Warner asked about American chestnut restoration; panelists described backcross‑breeding efforts, seed banking and reintroduction trials and said those efforts are examples of research partnerships that benefit the Commonwealth but rely on sustained support. Representative Flick and others encouraged committee visits to major events such as the Philadelphia Flower Show to witness economic impacts firsthand.
Panelists recommended a mix of modest grant programs (panelists noted an example Center for Plant Excellence grant round of about $125,000), marketing coordination with VisitPA, and targeted investments to scale apprenticeship programs and local tourism circuits. They framed gardens as both conservation infrastructure and economic drivers that can support small towns as well as metropolitan destinations.
The committee made no formal vote or motion during the session. Chairwoman Daley thanked the witnesses and closed the meeting after questioning concluded.
