State Conducting Study of the Economic Importance of Wildlife
- ADF&G Press Release
Cora Campbell, Commissioner
P.O. Box 115526
Juneau, Alaska 99811
Phone: (907) 465-6166 - Fax: (907) 465-2332
Press Release: May 23, 2012
Contact: Anne Sutton, (907) 465-5157
State Conducting Study of the Economic Importance of Wildlife
The State of Alaska is sponsoring a study of the economic importance of wildlife in Alaska. This will help the Alaska Department of Fish and Game and Alaska’s leaders better understand how hunting, trapping, wildlife viewing and other wildlife-related activities affect Alaska’s economy through the money residents and visitors spend directly on wildlife-related activities, as well as the ways wildlife improves Alaskans’ quality of life.
A third-party independent research firm, ECONorthwest, is collecting information using a variety of methods including phone and e-mail surveys and interviews. After being contacted, some members of the public have called the Department of Fish and Game to verify that the survey is legitimate. Some were concerned about questions regarding their income. The income and other demographic questions help with a key aspect of the survey process, ensuring that survey participants represent the full population of Alaska in terms of its known demographic characteristics. All data collected will be used for research purposes only and will be kept strictly confidential.
This is a multi-year project, and updates and final products will be posted on the Fish and Game website as data and findings become available. The survey work will wrap up later this summer, with a final report scheduled for release in the fall of 2013.
A variety of methods will be used to collect information. A randomly selected, broad sample of Alaska residents will be surveyed, as well as Alaska residents and visitors who indicate that they participated in wildlife viewing activities, and residents and nonresidents who purchased hunting or trapping licenses in 2011. Selected wildlife-related business owners, guides, outfitters and wildlife managers will also be interviewed.
Using the data collected from these surveys, the study will describe and quantify, where possible, the relationship between wildlife and Alaska’s economy.
For more information about this project, contact Anne Sutton at 907-465-5157 or anne.sutton@alaska.gov; Maria Gladziszewski at 907-465-4114 or maria.gladziszewski@alaska.gov; or Project Manager Ernie Niemi of ECONorthwest at 541-687-0051 or niemi@econw.com.
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See the Study about the Economic Importance of Wildlife in Alaska for more information.