Spring 2006

Table of Contents

The idea that Washington’s diversity of wildlife is part of our state’s resident, business and tourist draw -- and that it’s almost a billion dollar annual industry -- is still new to some.

Public-private cooperation promotes wildlife viewing
By Dr. Jeff Koenings, WDFW Director

Those of you in our Backyard Wildlife Sanctuary program know how “watchable” wildlife can be.

But the idea that Washington’s diversity of wildlife is part of our state’s resident, business and tourist draw -- and that it’s almost a billion dollar annual industry -- is still new to some.

That’s why the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) recently entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the departments of Community Trade and Economic Development (CTED), Parks, Natural Resources, and Transportation, and the Washington Audubon Society, for collaboration of efforts to promote wildlife viewing.

Upcoming MOU projects include a complete re-design of the state’s tourism website, with a focus on wildlife viewing points of interest from Washington’s scenic highways, and coordination of the next statewide Watchable Wildlife conference Sept.14-15 in Richland with the city council and local visitors’ bureau.

Just this year the watchable wildlife promotion effort received a good boost with a $643,823 Federal Transportation Enhancement grant to help complete the final three of seven Great Washington State Birding Trail maps and signs.

This Audubon-led project steers travelers to the best places for birdwatching in the Evergreen State. Each route is composed of 50 to 70 individual sites, with information about which season to see what species of birds, travel directions, site ownership, and visitor services. These sites enhance rural economic development and encourage local conservation of birds, other wildlife and their habitat.

The new federal dollars, administered by the Washington Department of Transportation’s Highways and Local Programs division, join state and local investments in this birding trail system.

The first trail map was the Cascade Loop, published in 2002, followed by the Coulee Corridor in 2003, and the Southwest Loop in 2005. The Olympic Peninsula trail map is scheduled for release at the end of this year. The new funding will cover development of the Puget Sound, Columbia River, and Northeast Washington trail maps.

The Northeast trail will include WDFW’s newest acquisition – Reardan’s Audubon Lake in Lincoln County, just west of Spokane. This 278-acre wetland provides critical habitat for more than 200 species of birds and other wildlife just off Highway 2 in the town of Reardan. The purchase was approved and funded by the Washington Wildlife and Recreation Program, but it was really made possible by the work of the Inland Northwest Land Trust, Spokane Audubon Society, the town of Reardan, and Reardan Chamber of Commerce. In fact, the latter two entities have formed the Reardan Public Development Authority, which will locally manage the property and already envisions a community birdwatching event.

The Reardan site, as well as the overall birding trail system and the other projects we’ll be involved in under the new Watchable Wildlife MOU, have a key element in common -- cooperation from local government, businesses and volunteers. Their investments of time and enthusiasm are invaluable to spreading the word about watchable wildlife, and reaping the benefits. We hope to foster more of that cooperative spirit in future projects.