
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: MONDAY, August 9, 1993                   TAG: 9308100041
SECTION: EXTRA                    PAGE: 3   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: By Associated Press
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

KNOW A GOOD PLACE TO WATCH WILDLIFE IN VIRGINIA?

Virginia is trying to attract more outdoor enthusiasts who look but don't shoot by compiling a book to show them where to go.

Taking trips to observe wildlife is one of the fastest growing recreational activities in the nation, said Mark Duda, author of the Virginia Wildlife Viewing Guide.

Between 1980 and 1990 there was a 63 percent increase in people taking wildlife-watching trips, according to a study conducted by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Bureau of the Census.

Nearly 800,000 Virginians take such trips annually, and spend $380 million on travel and equipment, Duda said.

Those figures have grabbed the attention of the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries. The agency is committed to broadening both its constituency and financial base by embracing outdoorsmen who enjoy wildlife but don't buy a hunting or fishing license.

Fifty percent of the readers of the wildlife guide in other states have been women, while 98 percent of the buyers of a hunting license are male.

"This project will help both residents and visitors enjoy our rich wildlife diversity, and also will draw attention to the habitats on which they depend," said Bud Bristow, executive director of the game and fish department.

"We want to broaden the base of interest in wildlife," but that doesn't mean it will be done at the detriment of hunting, Duda said. "Seventy-five percent of the hunters go out to watch wildlife."

Duda, a natural resource and environmental consultant based in Harrisonburg, is soliciting input from people about the best spots in Virginia to view wildlife.

"We want people to nominate spots, then the nominations will be considered by a committee of experts," Duda said.

The guidebook, similar to ones published in 20 other states, will come out in the spring and include maps to direct people to viewing sites. A system of road signs will help people find their way.

The state game department is one of the sponsors of the guide project, along with the U.S. Forest Service, Department of Defense, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, National Park Service, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and Defenders of Wildlife.

by CNB