While the U.S. interior department sees the great value of restoring rivers, preserving "landscapes of historic national significance," and expanding urban parks, there's a new focus on justifying the money that goes into conservation and park projects by citing jobs numbers. In a speech at Greater & Greener: Reimagining Parks for 21st Century Cities, a conference in New York City, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar said national park and recreation jobs now total 9 million in the U.S.