01-28-2007, 10:10 PM
The Colorado Division of Wildlife (DOW) will host meetings January 31 in Salida and February 13 in Westcliffe for landowners interested in learning how to join the growing business of ecotourism and wildlife watching.
The workshop is free and open to anyone interested in learning how they can become a part of this growing wildlife business. Participants will learn how nature tourism can increase income and the funding partnerships available for habitat enhancement.
Each year, bird and wildlife watching generates more than $1 Billion in revenue in Colorado.
The DOW is part of a consortium that launched a unique program called "The Colorado Birding Trail," to help tourists locate the best places for wildlife watching in the state.
The Colorado Birding Trail (CBT) will consist of a series of driving trails, similar to the existing "Scenic Byways" network. The state will be broken into three primary regions - eastern plains, mountains, and western mesas.
There will be approximately 15 driving trails in each region, with 15 to 20 wildlife-watching sites on each loop. The wildlife viewing sites will include both public and private property.
Developing the economic potential of wildlife viewing provides financial incentives to protect or improve wildlife habitat. When individuals and towns make the clear connection between monetary benefits and the presence of wildlife, they become more inclined to protect those wildlife assets. Particularly in rural areas, the economic boost provided from wildlife viewers can be an important source of revenue for towns and individual landowners.
The Salida meeting is January 31 from 5 - 8 p.m. at the Chaffee County Fairgrounds. Refreshments will be served. Please RSVP to Raquel Westbaugh at (719) 530-5526 or raquel.wertsbaugh@state.co.us.
The Westcliffe meeting is Tuesday, February 13 from 5 - 8 p.m. at the Rancher's Roost Café. Please RSVP to Ed Schmal at (719) 561-5309 or ed.schmal@state.co.us
The workshop is free and open to anyone interested in learning how they can become a part of this growing wildlife business. Participants will learn how nature tourism can increase income and the funding partnerships available for habitat enhancement.
Each year, bird and wildlife watching generates more than $1 Billion in revenue in Colorado.
The DOW is part of a consortium that launched a unique program called "The Colorado Birding Trail," to help tourists locate the best places for wildlife watching in the state.
The Colorado Birding Trail (CBT) will consist of a series of driving trails, similar to the existing "Scenic Byways" network. The state will be broken into three primary regions - eastern plains, mountains, and western mesas.
There will be approximately 15 driving trails in each region, with 15 to 20 wildlife-watching sites on each loop. The wildlife viewing sites will include both public and private property.
Developing the economic potential of wildlife viewing provides financial incentives to protect or improve wildlife habitat. When individuals and towns make the clear connection between monetary benefits and the presence of wildlife, they become more inclined to protect those wildlife assets. Particularly in rural areas, the economic boost provided from wildlife viewers can be an important source of revenue for towns and individual landowners.
The Salida meeting is January 31 from 5 - 8 p.m. at the Chaffee County Fairgrounds. Refreshments will be served. Please RSVP to Raquel Westbaugh at (719) 530-5526 or raquel.wertsbaugh@state.co.us.
The Westcliffe meeting is Tuesday, February 13 from 5 - 8 p.m. at the Rancher's Roost Café. Please RSVP to Ed Schmal at (719) 561-5309 or ed.schmal@state.co.us