Well, I'm back on my soapbox again. To answer Jo Waldron's question
about bombarding the TV with commercial ads about environments, I don't
know much about it: however, I would like to see more about the value of
wildlife, especially birds, appear much more often in mass media
newspapers.

When one compares the number of lines about wildlife with the thousands
of lines about spectator sports, wildlife is dwarfed. So-called outdoor
writers just write about consumptive use of wildlife. Take, take, take.
Fishing and hunting. Very little about interesting wildlife, watching
wildlife, the economic value of wildlife. I've written to columnists
giving them a lot of data to no avail. Perhaps if the brotherhood and
sisterhood of birding would bombard editors with requests for weekly
columns, it might get their attention. A lone person is tuned out. Yet
birds themselves have tremendous economic value.

The voluminous 1996 Survey of Fishing, Hunting and Wildlife Associated
Recreation in the U.S. by the Depts. of Commerce, Interior, Bureau of
the Census and Economic and Statistics Administration which surveyed
80,000 households revealed that 77 million American adults in wildlife
recreation AND they pumped over $100 billion in the national economy
that year. Unduobtedly it is more now.

About 35.2 million fished, l4 million hunted and an astounding 62.9
million engaged in wildlife watching, mainly birds. In fact the Forbes
magazine listed far, far more wildlife watchers than golfers (gasp!)
Anglers spent $38 billion, hunters $21 billion and wilsdlife watchers a
measly $29.2 billion (more than macho red blooded hunters).

Here in the state of Washington, 944,000 anglers spent $677,943,000,
hunters totaled some 259,000 and spent $341,719,000 while 1,621,000
million wildlife watchers spent over $875,300,000. And they supported
21,454 jobs.
They paid over $56.9 million in sale taxes alone. Politicians and
chambers of commerce should take note. I wonder how much the Crane and
Shorebird Festivals bring to neighboring communities. Or National and
State wildlife refuges in our state..

Not only do birds bring in dollars but they consume billions of harmful
insects and arthropods that spread both plant and animal diseases,
destroy commercial crops and orchards, defoliate trees and and other
plants and are downright pesky (Slap!)
This is a value that has never been quantified and an attempt should be
made to do so.

But how will editors recognize this other than the facts brought to
their attention by not one, but numbers of people? Do we just sit on our
tailfeathers and complain.. Get off of them and bug editors and
so-called outdoor writers. I can't alone.

I'll get off the soapbox because I see some rotten tomatoes coming my
way.

Eugene Kridler
Ye Olde (80)Broken Down (Really) Bugologist
ekridler at olympus.net