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

DATE: MONDAY, April 18, 1994                   TAG: 9404190035
SECTION: EDITORIAL                    PAGE: A-4   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

GREAT OUTDOORS

CAN A healthy environment and a healthy economy thrive together? One piece of evidence suggesting they can is to be found in a survey last year for the Maryland Department of Natural Resources Wildlife Division.

Watching, feeding and photographing wildlife increased by 87 percent from 1980 to 1990 in the South Atlantic states, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. In Maryland, that upsurge meant that in 1990 some 750,000 people spent time watching wildlife - contributing $92 million to the state's economy.

To learn how to better serve these enthusiasts (and, not incidentally, to raise the profile of the wildlife division and increase support for the Chesapeake Bay and Endangered Species Fund), the division commissioned a telephone survey to gauge public support for wildlife activities. Of those who responded, 58 percent said they took a special interest in wildlife around their homes, and 21 percent went on trips or outings to watch or photograph wildlife. Almost 75 percent said they might be interested in seeing or observing wildlife, indicating an opportunity to market wildlife programs to a wider public.

Virginia, with wildlife habitats as diverse as the Blue Ridge Mountains and the Great Dismal Swamp, is naturally blessed with a richness of plant and animal life that, if allowed to survive, can enrich the commonwealth's economy as well as the quality of life of its citizens.

Nestled between the beautiful Blue Ridge and Allegheny mountain ranges, the Roanoke Valley is uniquely positioned to take advantage of a growing interest in the outdoors. The vaIley lies adjacent to the Blue Ridge Parkway to the east and the Appalachian Trail to the west, and has reserved, in urbanizing Roanoke County, the Explore Park. Such assets are to be nurtured.

by CNB