Survey: Do hunters and trappers or wildlife viewers spend more money in Alaska?

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By Tim Mowry - Fairbanks Daily News-Miner / tmowry@newsminer.com

Story Created: Jun 11, 2012 at 8:46 AM AKDT

Story Updated: Jun 11, 2012 at 8:47 AM AKDT

FAIRBANKS — The Alaska Department of Fish and Game is trying to determine how much money hunters and trappers spend in Alaska compared to wildlife viewers.

The state has hired an Oregon research company to do “a study of the economic importance of wildlife in Alaska,” according to a press release from ADF&G.

“This will help the Alaska Department of Fish and Game and Alaska’s leaders better understand how hunting, trapping, wildlife viewing and other wildlife-related activities affect Alaska’s economy ... as well as the ways wildlife improves Alaskans’ quality of life,” the release stated.

The state is paying ECONorthwest, an independent research firm based in Oregon, $365,000 to conduct the survey. The company is collecting information via phone and email surveys and interviews using email addresses provided by people who bought hunting licenses in Alaska last year or completed a visitors study commissioned by the Alaska Department of Commerce, Community and Economic Development.

Project manager Ernie Niemi with ECONorthwest said the company is contacting approximately 16,000 hunters and about 6,000 out-of-state visitors who completed a study commissioned by the Alaska Department of Commerce, Community and Economic Development.

The company contacted more hunters because it has access to hunting license sales, Niemi said.

“We can identify that population better,” he said. “You don’t get a license to go wildlife viewing.”

There are separate surveys for hunters/trappers and wildlife viewers, Niemi said. Each survey is designed to see how much money hunters and wildlife viewers spend on their activities.

“They’re expenditures will tell us how much money is floating through the economy for these two aspects of wildlife in Alaska,” Niemi said.

Wildlife viewing ranked second to shopping in the 2011 summer visitors survey. Shopping was the top-ranked activity at 69 percent, followed by wildlife viewing at 52 percent and cultural activities at 49 percent.

But that number doesn’t tell wildlife officials much, Anne Sutton, the Department of Fish and Game’s watchable wildlife coordinator in Juneau. The survey will pinpoint the areas where wildlife viewing activities, whether it’s bear viewing or bird watching, take place and what species of animals people want to see.

“We don’t know what people do or what they’re looking for in terms of species and what they’re spending on wildlife viewing,” Sutton said. “We believe this type of information will be important in making decisions in the future about Alaska’s wildlife, whether it’s natural resource managers, the legislature or the governor.

“We want to make sure all the wildlife users have the opportunities they’re seeking here and we think this information will help us,” she said.

The company began sending out email surveys about three weeks ago and will augment the email survey with a mailed questionaire, Niemi said.

Contact Fairbanks Daily News-Miner staff writer Tim Mowry at 907-459-7587.

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RR said on Tuesday, Jul 3 at 4:42 PM

Alaskans will soon find out just how it feels to be taken over by the rest of the US,people forget ruby ridge and waco,go ahead stand tall see what happens

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Jeffrey said on Monday, Jun 11 at 7:55 PM

Alaska is slowly losing it seat as the last bastion of the American way of life. Our country, our state inundated with legalized and elected criminals in government over-turning every source of revenue to line their friends as well as their own pockets. We must stop standing idly by and start aggressively attacking the system of deceit and corruption or to relent is to accept Alaska as the New Commifornia.

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bushman said on Monday, Jun 11 at 7:06 PM

We have a Target on our heads due to Palins run for office as the Dems see a revenue source here from our state . They need to take it over to get it

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Anonymous said on Monday, Jun 11 at 6:28 PM

it's when you start to go in circles that you better stop look and listen - the animals are hunting you!

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Saber wardogs said on Monday, Jun 11 at 5:52 PM

the fish and game commisioner needs to be run out of Alaska for this.Fish and game belong to the state residences not out of state tree huggers.Fish and games job is and should be to manage the game of Alaska for in state hunters and the people that need the meat to subsit on

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Anonymous said on Monday, Jun 11 at 5:00 PM

This is a bunny huggers set up. It will only reflected good on the viewers. Saying they send much more money on the state. Witch we know is bull. WE live here.

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ben said on Monday, Jun 11 at 3:01 PM

The real question shouldn't be how much money do hunters and trappers spend up here, it should be how much money does it save those who hunt and trap.

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native said on Monday, Jun 11 at 12:48 PM

The Wildlife in Alaska are not pawns for urban photo shop lawmakers to play with. Alaska is unique in preserveing the subsistence life style and the freedom that tourist only dream of. This is how the anti hunting and trapping peta people start and most are living in Oregan now days

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herman said on Monday, Jun 11 at 12:37 PM

I think wildlife viewers should purchase a wildlife viewing license. The revenues from this license would help the state manage habitat and wildlife and provide better law enforcement and protection of our resources. Hunters already buy licenses and pay excise taxes on their gear. It's about time viewers paid their fair share.

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UMM said on Monday, Jun 11 at 11:27 AM

Why does this matter? People are not shooting bears where tourist are looking at them. Well most aren't....

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Shawn Klemmer jr. said on Monday, Jun 11 at 11:23 AM

Yup, the state is at it again. Send money out of state to do "research". These "bribes" are getting out of hand. More corrupt officials doing back door deals. This is how Alaska's money is spent???? The Department of Fish and Game isn't looking out for Alaskans. Just greasing the wheels for someone else. Total B.S. !

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Ragnar said on Monday, Jun 11 at 11:23 AM

hunting trapping and fishing creates more income for the state than just viewing wildlife, and what does it matter? seems like another attempt by the anti hunters to circumvent policy and try to justify a change that suits them.

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E said on Monday, Jun 11 at 11:21 AM

Im pretty sure if they hired an in state firm there is potential and would be accusations of bias or result tampering. The possibility of any particular groups agenda benefiting from the results is hopefully minmized this way.

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Barbara said on Monday, Jun 11 at 10:06 AM

Why did the state not hire an in state research company? Thanks SOA, when are you going to get the message there are qualified Alaskans.

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BobD said on Monday, Jun 11 at 10:06 AM

Why an Oregon Co. ? Are there no Alaskan Cos. that could do the job ? Makes no sense..

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