Ben Evans, Associated Press, Yahoo News 28 Nov 07;
National wildlife refuges more than make up for their cost to taxpayers by returning about $4 in economic activity for every $1 the government spends, according to a federal study released Tuesday.
Overall, the refuges drew some 35 million hunters, anglers, birders and other visitors in 2006, supporting about 27,000 jobs, the study found.
Advocates of the system pounced on the results as evidence that budget cuts under President Bush have been ill-advised.
"Refuges are economic engines in local communities. There's no doubt about it," said Desiree Sorenson-Groves, vice president for government affairs at the National Wildlife Refuge Association. "The budget cuts have an impact .... You have people who are going to refuges and there's no staff, or a wildlife drive is closed because it can't be maintained."
Under an ongoing restructuring, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is planning to cut 565 jobs from refuges by 2009 — a 20 percent reduction. The plan would leave more than 200 refuges unstaffed.
Tuesday's report, issued by Fish and Wildlife economists, said the areas created some $1.7 billion in economic activity and $185 million in tax revenues.
Fishing and hunting accounted for almost 20 percent of the economic activity. The Southeast region drew the most visitors — 9.4 million.
The more popular refuges boasted far greater economic returns, the report said. The Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge in Virginia created about $155 in economic activity for every $1 in federal spending. The Don Edwards San Francisco refuge returned almost $44, while the Bombay Hook refuge in Delaware returned $23.
The national system encompasses 548 refuges and more than 96 million acres in all 50 states.
The refuge budget grew rapidly after Congress passed a landmark improvement bill in 1997. With new land acquisitions and a clearer mandate, the system's funding jumped from $178 million in 1997 to $391 million in 2004.
Recent years have seen stagnant or declining budgets, even as refuge officials say they need $15 million increases just to keep pace with inflation, and a much larger amount to chip away at an estimated $2.5 billion backlog for maintenance and operations.
Fish and Wildlife Director Dale Hall said the budget challenges are "fairly significant" and that "we'd be naive to think that we wouldn't lose some visitation" as a result of eliminating staff and restricting access in some areas.
He said the agency would do its best to explain to decision-makers "that we get a tremendous return on the taxpayer's dollar."
National Wildlife Refuge System: http://www.fws.gov/refuges/
