A friend forwarded this to me....thought somebody in bird-cyberspace might
be interested

Eric Kowalczyk

>X-Sender: lzuckerm at mail.vt.edu
>Date: Tue, 16 Jun 1998 09:53:08 +0100
>To: sheila at halcyon.com
>From: laurie zuckerman <lzuckerm at vt.edu>
>Subject: WILDLIFE WATCHING IS BIG BUSINESS
>
>> June 10, 1998 Laury Parramore 202-208-5634
>> laury_parramore at fws.gov
>>
>> USFWS ECONOMIC STUDY SHOWS WILDLIFE WATCHING IS BIG BUSINESS
>>
>> Wildlife watching has flown out of the backyard bird feeder and
>> into the Fortune 500 arena, according to a new report by the U.S.
>> Fish and Wildlife Service.
>>
>> Americans spent $29.2 billion to observe, feed, and photograph
>> wildlife in the United States, according to the report, "1996
>> National and State Economic Impacts of Wildlife Watching." If
>> wildlife-watching were a Fortune 500 company in 1996, it would
>> have ranked 23rd.
>>
>> "Sales of seemingly small items such as binoculars and bird seed
>> are becoming a major force in the Nation's economy as people take
>> a greater interest in watching wildlife," said Service Director
>> Jamie Rappaport Clark. "The total industry output for wildlife
>> watching--the overall economic 'ripple effect' of the $29.2
>> billion Americans spent in 1996--is an impressive $85.4 billion."
>> For many local communities, the economic potential of their
>> wildlife-watching opportunities still may be unrealized. This
>> report shows that nationally and locally, investments in wildlife
>> and wild places are investments in this country's natural
>> resource legacy, and in its economic future.
>>
>> According to the report, wildlife watching creates more than 1
>> million jobs, contributes $24.2 billion in employment income, and
>> generates $323.5 million in state income tax and $3.8 billion in
>> Federal income tax. Wildlife watching also produces $1.04
>> billion in state sales tax. In addition, spending by wildlife
>> watchers increased by 21 percent since 1991, when the figures are
>> adjusted for inflation.
>>
>> Three types of expenditures are detailed in the report.
>> Expenditures for equipment and related items, such as binoculars,
>> cameras, wild bird food, membership in wildlife organizations,
>> camping equipment, and motor homes, accounts for 57 percent of
>> total spending. Trip-related expenditures, such as for food,
>> lodging, and transportation, constitute 32 percent of total
>> spending by wildlife watchers. Other items, such as books,
>> magazines, contributions, and land-leasing, make up 11 percent of
>> wildlife watchers' spending. Wildlife watchers are identified in
>> the report as people whose principal motivation for spending or
>> traveling is wildlife watching
>>
>> Nearly 63 million people age 16 and older--31 percent of the U.S.
>> population--were wildlife watchers in 1996, according to the
>> report. The report is based on the Service's "1996 National
>> Survey of Fishing, Hunting and Wildlife-Associated Recreation,"
>> which is conducted every 5 years by the U.S. Census Bureau. The
>> survey, based on more than 34,000 interviews with anglers,
>> hunters, and wildlife watchers, is the most comprehensive survey
>> of wildlife-related recreation in the United States.
>>
>> Copies of the report, "1996 National and State Economic Impacts
>> of Wildlife Watching," and the "1996 National Survey of Fishing,
>> Hunting and Wildlife-Associated Recreation" are available by
>> calling the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's publications unit at
>> 304-876-7203.
>>
>> The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is the principal Federal
>> agency responsible for conserving, protecting, and enhancing fish
>> and wildlife and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the
>> American people. The Service's almost 93 million acres include
>> 514 national wildlife refuges, 78 ecological services field
>> stations, 65 national fish hatcheries, 50 wildlife coordination
>> areas, and 38 wetland management districts with waterfowl
>> production areas.
>>
>> The agency enforces Federal wildlife laws, manages migratory bird
>> populations, restores nationally significant fisheries, conserves
>> and restores wildlife habitat such as wetlands, administers the
>> Endangered Species Act, and helps foreign governments with their
>> conservation efforts. It also oversees the Federal Aid program
>> that distributes Federal excise taxes on fishing and hunting
>> equipment to state wildlife agencies. This program is a
>> cornerstone of the Nation's wildlife management efforts, funding
>> fish and wildlife restoration, boating access, hunter education,
>> shooting ranges, and related projects across America.
>>
>> -FWS-
>>
>>
>> ============================================================
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>>
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>>-------------------------------------------------------------
>>
>>Wallace Coffey
>>Bristol, TN
>>
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