ED-Central


In This Issue


- Take Stock of Natural Resources
- Use Local Champion to Promote Alternative Land Use




Texas is again hosting what appears to be one of the most lucrative, especially for small rural communities, and important economic activities of the year — Hunting. This annual activity starts with the opening of dove season, then quail and soon deer hunting. While fee-based deer hunting has rapidly become one of the most important income producing activities in Texas for ranchers, diversifying uses of vast natural resources for a variety of nature-related tourism activities appears to be a profitable way to not only increase ranch income, but also to improve and diversify the economic base of rural regions as a whole. Here, we explore the national trends relating to nature tourism and look at opportunities to use natural resources to spur economic growth.

Take Stock of Natural Resources

There’s almost always value in taking stock of and documenting what you have. In the case of natural resources, this can be particularly valuable as it might just reveal opportunities for new tourism enterprises to serve a growing population of travelers seeking experiences with nature. You can start by simply listing what you have and you can do that with the help of local experts or even the high school science class. It’s okay to leave the details, like game counts, for later. Once you have a list of plants, birds and other wildlife in the area, compare that against other communities – a simple Google search can return great insights. If others are touting opportunities to view a particular bird or flower or frog, so can you.

Use Local Champion to Promote Alternative Land Use

Just one landowner with demonstrated willingness to try new things – alternative lease options, nature tours, accommodations – can have a huge impact on your ability to develop similar operations. Enlist their support in reaching out to their fellow landowners, even pay them to put on a seminar or host an informal event to talk about issue facing landowners in your area. When they get the message about the merits of nature and ag tourism from one of their own, landowners are far more likely to trust the message and ultimately act on it.

Texas is again hosting what appears to be one of the most lucrative, especially for small rural communities, and important economic activities of the year — Hunting. This annual activity starts with the opening of dove season, then quail and soon deer hunting. While fee-based deer hunting has rapidly become one of the most important income producing activities in Texas for ranchers, increased diversified uses of vast natural resources for a variety of nature-related tourism activities appears to be a profitable way to not only increase ranch income, but also to improve and diversify the economic base of rural regions as a whole. As farmers and ranchers (and their suppliers) know all too well, agriculture’s overall economy, excepting this brief upsurge in cattle prices, has continuously declined since the early 1980's. A sluggish Ag base negatively affects the economic setting of rural communities and their neighboring counties. Cowboys and Sierra Clubbers — We are all intimately tied to agriculture whether we admit it or not.

Nature tourism is rapidly growing into a viable industry. Results of a 2001 U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS) survey in Texas indicates 4.8 million people fished; 2.3 million hunted and 6.3 million participated in significant wildlife watching. The report also indicated travel and equipment expenditures by fishing participants was $412 million; hunting - $128 million, and wildlife watchers - $624 million. According to Dr. Susan Cooper, Assistant Professor of Wildlife Ecology at the Texas A&M University Research & Extension Center - Uvalde, nation-wide surveys indicate bird watching is the fastest growing segment of the Nature Tourism industry.

Dr. Cooper contends widely diversified nature tourism activities have a great potential to increase the revenue base for landowners, especially landowners with smaller or more urban tracts of land not able to support traditional hunting activities. While most would probably agree bird watching will not surpass income from traditional hunting as a source of revenue for ranchers, nature tourism activities offer an excellent income producing potential during the “off” seasons, such as during spring and would attract a different group of people when there is little hunting or other activities.

NOTE: Birding appears best during spring and early fall when migrating birds pass through Texas. Spring and early fall are not even deer hunting periods. Birding may provide an excellent activity to fill in the gaps in the hunting calendar.

Additionally, judging by the number of participants and total expenditures resulting from each group’s nature tourism activities in the 2001 USFWS Texas survey, the number of people in nature tourism activities and their expenditures almost equaled the sum of hunting & fishing.

According to the Lower Rio Grande Chamber of Commerce, bird watchers contribute $90 million per year to the economy due to the Great Texas Birding Trails. Rockport alone garners $1.4 million per year from their annual hummingbird festival. Some rural communities even generate income from a “Fire-Ant” Festival. What is the old saying?, “If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em.” As an example, the folks in Mexia, population - 6,933, living in the heart of Red Imported Fire Ant territory turned their fire ant liability into a paying asset for their community by using the dreaded fire ant to draw attention to the positive attributes they posses. Other communities have capitalized on the annual migrations of buzzards. Case studies and reports conclusively confirm urban dwellers are seeking opportunities for rural experiences. So, the potential for increased revenue to rural settings by catering to this group on a year-round basis should be more fully explored.

While most ranchers and rural vendors have recognized the income potential from fee-based hunting, others have been slow to recognize or at least, to figure ways to capture nature tourism market niches. Many ranchers place a high value on their privacy and yet, do not take full advantage of potential opportunities from the full use of their vast natural resources. Grass leases for livestock dominated the use of range resources up until the late 1980s. In the ‘90s, the situation gradually changed and is continuing to change where the use of wildlife for economic gain in some regions of Texas is the main driver for range resource use. While fee-based hunting remains a dominant activity, wildlife resource use has diversified into nature tourism including hosting guests on a fee basis to rural experiences, selling mesquite wood or artifacts, Bed & Breakfast activities, trail biking, bow hunting and a host of other income producing activities. Eight southern counties of Texas have been successful in hosting a bi-annual photography contest with prize monies of $135,000. First place cash prize is $30,000. There is a separate Small Tract Competition for entrants with backyards up to 100 acres, capable of winning a total of $20,000. There is even a youth photo contest with $7,500 in prize money. All photos have an opportunity to be published and further earn money from book sales.

Diversification into birding would be a natural shift to gain an as yet untapped public sector market share which does not duplicate existing economic benefits from hunters, campers and other tourists. Birders, unlike hunters, campers and river rafters, dislike roughing it, mainly because most of them are more than 40 years old. According to the Texas Parks & Wildlife Service, nature tourism participants are typically “empty nesters” or young retirees with an average of 16 or more years of formal education and an average yearly income of $50,000+. However, regardless of their ages, many of them don’t like to use their time packing & unpacking camping gear, pitching tents, building fires and preparing food — time otherwise spent more productively birding. Most birders are willing to pay someone else to shelter and feed them in comfort. This is where our communities take part in the nature tourism equation.

The west Texas region appears as a prime area to increase nature tourism. Recently, Dr. Cooper hosted a group of 161 members of the Texas Ornithological Society to Uvalde County to participate in field trips to observe birds. The group visited Garner State Park, the Lost Maples State Natural Area, Fort Inge Historical Park, Cooks Slough Nature Park, the U.S. Fish Hatchery and many private properties including Deterring Ranch, Frio River Cabins, Neals Lodges, River Oaks Resort, Triple R RV Park, Huebner Ranch, River Bend Outdoors Ranch, Carper Ranch, Shudde Ranch, and Fort Clark Springs. Several townsfolk opened their gardens to this group. The Texas Ornithological Society birders observed 164 different species of birds during 12 different field trips. It was not surprising the group indicated their favorite field trip was to Cooks Slough Nature Park where 90 different bird species were seen during just two days of viewing. These very successful and productive field trips indicate Uvalde County is prime for expansion of nature tourism activities. In addition, Uvalde County has a chance to gather considerable income from birders as the new “Heart of Texas Wildlife Trail” maps become available.

Residents of Pecos and several other counties recently formed a nature tourism promoting organization known as the Trans-Pecos Tourism Partnership. This partnership was recognized as a rising star in tourism circles but it has become prematurely dormant because its members became disenchanted with the preparatory work involved both within the partnership and within each individual’s operation to prepare for tourists. State and national mechanisms are currently in place to enhance and promote all facets of nature tourism, especially for this region. At a recent Water Summit meeting in Austin, the keynote speaker, Texas Commissioner of Agriculture Susan Combs, alluded to the importance of nature tourism and its impact on Texas’ economy. Commissioner Combs also stressed the Texas InFront campaign which is intended to promote Nature Tourism, especially in rural Texas.

While all of these activities are innovative and commendable, the agriculture sector remains fiercely independent with severe reservations over losing their privacy. Resistance to inviting strangers onto private land by granting trespass rights for a fee poses major obstacles to developing a viable nature tourism market. Income aspects may assist gaining the attention of some ranchers. Grass leases to produce livestock are generating from $1.50 - $3.50 per acre, depending on the composition of the rangeland, compared to hunting leases which are bringing from $6.00 to as high as $20.00 per acre depending on the environment, services provided and what game is available. Expanding into nature tourism could increase this revenue. Key to this expansion would be becoming a good host, providing some form of entertainment and being able to get along with people. A central effort appears necessary to help focus the use of natural resources with groups willing to pay for a share of the use of these resources.

About the Author:Jed Elrod has served 5 years as Pecos County's Ag & Natural Resources Agent dealing with myriad responsibilities for agriculture and community development. Prior to his involvement with Pecos County, he worked more than 13 years as a Specialist for the New Mexico Department of Agriculture (NMDA) dealing with wildlife and range resource policy analysis and conflict arbitration. Mr. Elrod graduated from Texas A&M University in 1973, and received his Masters degree in Range Animal Science in 1975. He currently serves as a member of the Executive Advisory Board for AdventGX Corporation, a tourism and economic development consulting firm focusing on the development of niche tourism operations such as nature, heritage and agricultural tourism.