Banking on Nature: The Economic Benefits to Local Communities of NationalWildlife Refuge Visitation

摘要

This report focuses on the income and employment effects recreational visitors torefuges have on the economies of local regions. In addition to the economic effects of refuge hunting and fishing programs in local communities, it measures the economic impact of 'ecotourism'. An Introduction details the study's overall rationale, outlines its economic concepts, and describes the method and data sources used. The second section presents 15 sample refuge descriptions, highlighting the recreational activities enjoyed at each refuge, analyzing the regional economic factors involved, and putting the results of this analysis into perspective. A National View section discusses the overall results for the sample refuges and extrapolates them to a nationwide estimate. Finally, appendices provide background detail on the economic models used for the refuge estimates and the nationwide aggregation.