I first started at the Bemidji (Minn.) Pioneer as an intern in the summer of 1996. That would begin six years as a news reporter, sports reporter and copy editor for a small, six-day-per-week daily newspaper in northern Minnesota. I wrote a large range of stories from multiple beats, to features to sports, my favorite being the coverage of the Red Lake Reservation High School basketball team named the Warriors. Here is a collection of my stories from my time at the Pioneer.
Sept. 30, 1999
By Devlyn Brooks
Wildlife tourism is a sleeping giant of an industry in Minnesota, according to Minnesota Department of Natural Resources and tourism officials.
Regionally, those in the hospitality business could benefit greatly by marketing to birdwatchers, wildlife photographers and other outdoor enthusiasts, the DNR's Nongame Wildlife Supervisor Carrol Henderson said at a special workshop Wednesday.
About 50 resort owners and wildlife officials attended the DNR's first-ever wildlife tourism workshop at the Concordia Language Camp's French Village to hear how their business or community could benefit from promoting wildlife tourism.
Although Minnesota lags behind other states, such as Texas and Florida, in promoting its wildlife, more than 650,000 people traveled to see Minnesota wildlife in 1996 and spent about $380 million in the process, according to Henderson, the keynote speaker.
"This has been evolving very quickly in Minnesota," he said. "Wildlife tourism can enhance business, profits and experiences with customers. People are getting out more than ever to see nature."
In fact, Henderson said, wildlife tourism is the fastest growing segment of the travel industry and birdwatching, in particular, is the largest growing outdoor recreational activity, outpacing even golf.
"A 1990 survey by Fortune magazine said twice as many people enjoy watching birds than playing golf," he said.
According to a U.S. Fish and Wildlife survey completed in 1996, more than $29 billion was spent on wildlife and outdoor gear, almost five times as much as was spent on tickets to major league sporting events.
It can have an even greater impact on local economies, he said. According to the same study, the Forsyth National Wildlife Refuge in New Jersey brought $4 million into its community in 1996.
In Minnesota, almost 650,000 people traveled the state in search of wildlife, with 214,000 of them coming from outside the state, according to the Fish and Wildlife survey.
Henderson said Minnesota businesses have a lot to offer wildlife seekers, especially those in the Bemidji region, because it is situated near all three of the state's major biomes -- life zones of interrelated plants and animals determined by the climate.
Bemidji is located in the northern coniferous forest biome, but an agricultural zone and a hardwood transition zone are within a few hour's traveling time.
This region also is home to many animals and plant species that attract wildlife enthusiasts nationwide.
For instance, he said, people will make special trips to see the bald eagle.
"People never tire of looking for eagles. If you sponsor an eagle tour, people will go," he said. "People love eagles."
Other examples of popular sights are owls, grouse, natural prairies, deer and wolves.
"The public land around you could be the next goose that laid the golden egg," Henderson said, "because as other economies shrink, nature and wildlife resources will be there."
Wednesday's workshop was the first of 19 to be held statewide in the next year. They were created by the DNR and Minnesota Office of Tourism to help the hospitality industry better accommodate the growing number of visitors and resident tourists who want to see and photograph wildlife.
Money from the state's lottery proceeds is paying for the workshops, Henderson said.
Workshops will be held at Mille Lacs and Duluth in the next two weeks.
Comentários