The Many Economic Benefits of Wildlife Refuges Released on October 6

	USFWS photo

The National Wildlife Refuge System is a major economic engine even as it conserves wildlife and habitat and offers some of the nation’s more alluring recreational opportunities. Those benefits were revealed in Banking on Nature 2004: The Economic Benefits to Local Communities of National Wildlife Refuge Visitation, released by Interior Secretary Gale Norton and Travel Industry Association of American President Roger Dow on October 6.

The 40 million annual visitors to the National Wildlife Refuge System contributed $1.4 billion in total economic activity during the 2004 fiscal year. According to Banking on Nature 2004, visitation to national wildlife refuges created almost 24,000 private sector jobs and produced about $454 million in employment income. Additionally, recreational spending on refuges generated nearly $151 million in tax revenue at the local, county, state and federal level.

The report provides specific economic information on 93 national wildlife refuges. Regionally, the Southeast led the Refuge System in economic impact. With nearly 11 million visitors last year, national wildlife refuges in the Southeast created more than $451 million in economic activity and more than 8,500 jobs.

The report also shows a considerable “consumer surplus” of more than $1 billion in 2004. Consumer surplus is a measure of how much more people are willing to pay for recreation than it actually costs them.

For a copy of the report or to find more information on the National Wildlife Refuge System, visit http://www.fws.gov/refuges/.