The Economic Value of Water and Ecosystem Preservation

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• Promoting the entire Texas coast as a superb destination for traveling birders. • Offering a means through which rural coastal communities could band together with adjacent destinations and enhance the appeal of the entire region as a tourism destination. • Heightening awareness among Texas coastal communities, particularly those in isolated rural settings, of the value of these nature resources and the need to conserve these irreplaceable assets for the future (Eubanks, 2003). In addition to land-based opportunities to view birds and wildlife, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department is in the process of establishing the Texas Coastal Paddling Trail; an integrated network of water trails for sea kayakers in various locations along the Texas coast. Eventually, the network will include prepared campsites with water and other amenities. Within the Guadalupe estuary, the Port O’Connor Paddle Trail will connect the city of Port O’Connor and Matagorda Island State Park. “The trail allows paddlers access to Texas’ best saltwater habitat and offshore birding (and fishing) opportunities (Harvey, 2002).” Currently, the project is still in the development stages. Well-preserved habitat also exists on private lands in the region. Robert L. Cook, the Executive Director of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) noted that since 94 percent of Texas is under private ownership, “if large scale natural resource conservation is going to happen in Texas, it's going to happen on private land (Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, 2002b).” In the San Antonio Bay region, the Womack Family Ranch encompasses approximately 8,500 acres, including 4,200 acres of wetlands, which attract more than 300 species of birds, including bald eagles and peregrine falcons. There are two large heron and egret rookeries located within the marsh. The wetlands are also home to an abundance of fish and other wildlife, including a large population of alligators. A permanent easement prohibiting agricultural practices and development ensures that the wetlands will be available for use by these species in the future. The Womack Ranch is also working to convert upland mesquite woodlands back to native coastal prairie (Womack Family Ranch, 2003). Restoration efforts on the ranch earned them the TPWD’s 2002 “Lone Star Land Steward” program award. The Johnson Ranch is a 245-acre area adjacent to the Lamar Unit of ANWR that is protected as a wildlife refuge in partnership with The Nature Conservancy. Eventually, they expect to donate the land to ANWR (The Nature Conservancy, 2002). Also located just south of the study region is the Fenessey Ranch, which boasts 750,000 acres of lands, of which 4,000 are wetlands. These ranches offer ecotourism opportunities for visitors, thus capitalizing on increased interest in wildlife-associated activities. 24
3.3.2. The Economics of Multiple Nature Tourism Services Ecotourism in the San Antonio Bay can have a significant impact on the local economy. For example, in 2003 more than 71,000 people visited the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge to view flocks of migratory birds and other wildlife, thereby providing the region with an important source of income. According to Diane Probst, executive director of the Rockport-Fulton Area Chamber of Commerce, tourists that came to visit Aransas brought in more than $5 million to the local economy (Hudgins, 2005). Ecotourists provide business to hotels, nature-tour operators and restaurants located in the nearby towns of Seadrift, Port Lavaca, Rockport-Fulton, Port Aransas, and others. Many of the bed and breakfasts attract ecotourists by publicizing their proximity to birding sites, and in particular, advertise opportunities to view whooping cranes. They also promote butterfly and wildlife watching. For example, the owners of the previously mentioned Johnson Ranch also run a bed and breakfast, the Crane House, which is located adjacent to the protected portion of the property. The bed and breakfast caters to photographers and ecotourists by advertising its proximity to ANWR and by offering a variety of outdoor experiences, which include wildlife viewing opportunities and kayak rentals. They charge guests from $125 to $245 per night and offer a birding list for the property (Crane House, 2005). In addition, various hotels, RV parks, nature tours and outdoor recreation stores advertise their role in the ecotourism industry and the availability of good birding opportunities located nearby (Mathis, 2004a). “Birding tours operating out of Rockport/ Fulton harbor reported the number of its annual customers has grown to between 8,000 and 10,000 from less than 1,000 a decade ago (Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, 2002a).” These tours can range from $10/person for a one-hour “nature-watching” and dolphin tour to several hundred dollars for a full day of birdwatching, thereby generating significant income for the area. Although most ecotourists to the area are there for the usual sights, business can pick up considerably if someone he takes out on a tour spots a rare species and posts a picture to their website (Sims, 2005). The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service estimate that each sighting of a rare bird species may bring an added $100,000 into a community as people rush in to see the bird, and once there, get a hotel and eat a few meals (Hudgins, 2005). Birders can sign up for various web sites, cell phone text services and email notifications that will send them alerts notifying them of a rare bird in the area. In response to the growth of the ecotourism industry, private ranches around the San Antonio Bay have also begun to establish ecotourism operations. The Womack Ranch sells ecotourism passes for birding, hiking, and wildlife viewing. They offer kayaking and canoeing, as well as birding and walking loops. During migration seasons, they employ guides to conduct butterflies and bird tours (Womack Family Ranch, 2003). Along with the year-round ecotourism opportunities, the San Antonio Bay region hosts several annual organized events that take advantage of yearly bird migrations, thus attracting large numbers of ecotourists. Anne Vaughan, Executive Director of the Port Aransas Chamber of Commerce noted that “people 25
Page 1 and 2: Final Report to the Texas Coastal M
Page 3 and 4: 5.2.2. Sources / Data .............
Page 5 and 6: Executive Summary The San Antonio B
Page 7 and 8: ecotourism included in the model. T
Page 9 and 10: 1. Overview of San Antonio Bay Regi
Page 11 and 12: and shellfish species and estuarine
Page 13 and 14: According to the Rockport-Fulton Ch
Page 15 and 16: effect is limited by assimilative c
Page 17 and 18: freshwater inflow acts as a mechani
Page 19 and 20: sulfide. Heavy metals bounds to sed
Page 21 and 22: inflow levels and populations of se
Page 23 and 24: and could potentially make the cran
Page 25 and 26: 3. Characterization of Ecotourism i
Page 27 and 28: Contributes actively to the conserv
Page 29 and 30: Figure 3-1. Public Protected Areas
Page 31: 1987 and then purchased in 1991. Pr
Page 35 and 36: Table 3-2. Average Willingness to P
Page 37 and 38: Table 3-3. Personal Income and Prod
Page 39 and 40: impact. It is necessary to conduct
Page 41 and 42: 4.2. Key Site Details for the Analy
Page 43 and 44: approach allows examination of ques
Page 45 and 46: This average number of trips from t
Page 47 and 48: occasional flood and drought events
Page 49 and 50: The results of the regression yield
Page 51 and 52: gallons, which results in a value o
Page 53 and 54: Aransas distinguishes itself from C
Page 55 and 56: thresholds vary according the size
Page 57 and 58: The total number of full-time and p
Page 59 and 60: The County also shows a lower educa
Page 61 and 62: Refugio shows a rapid decrease in t
Page 63 and 64: IM t+ n ic = E t ic ⎡⎛ E × ⎢
Page 65 and 66: included an economic analysis of th
Page 67 and 68: Table 5-5. Employment Shift-Share A
Page 69 and 70: Fishing and related activities. The
Page 71 and 72: Figure 5-15. Employment change by s
Page 73 and 74: 5.3.2. Input-Output Analysis The in
Page 75 and 76: Calhoun Calhoun County’s experien
Page 77 and 78: an advantage, particularly in oyste
Page 79 and 80: Impacts on the Freshwater Inflows t
Page 81 and 82: However, due to the lack of consist
Page 83 and 84:
This implicitly assumes that flows
Page 85 and 86:
for fresh product. This fishery wil
Page 87 and 88:
Elliot, D. (2007). Competitive Adva
Page 89 and 90:
Pearce, D. W. (1994). The MIT Dicti
Page 91 and 92:
The Nature Conservancy. (2002). "Na
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The Economic Value of Water and Ecosystem Preservation

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