New Hampshire businesses have a big financial interest in birds.
The US Fish and Wildlife Service issued a report on July 15th showing that birdwatching, or birding, is a big business and a substantial boon to the economy of New Hampshire and the entire country. According to the study, New Hampshire sees 548,000 birdwatchers each year, of which 40% come from out of state. The Study defines birdwatchers as anyone who travels a mile or more to see birds, or anyone who actively tries to see birds in their own yards.
By the latter definition, planting a bird-friendly garden, installing birdfeeders, or purchasing a species identification book and a pair of binoculars to sit out on the deck and watch birds, makes a person into a birder. In New Hampshire, 32% of all residents were classified as birders compared to the national average of 21%. With that level of participation, New Hampshire was tied for 6th highest percentage of residents involved in birding. 39% of our neighbors in Maine are birdwatchers, and 38% of Vermonters are also practitioners of the birding hobby.
One of the goals of the study was to help states and local businesses understand the economic importance of preserving bird habitat and the many varied species that live there. That economic impact is quite large. According to the USFWS report, birders spend more than $23 billion dollars on birding equipment such as binoculars or birdhouses. As if that wasn’t a big enough number, they spend an additional $12 billion on food , lodging and transportation for birdwatching trips. In a state like New Hampshire where 40% of birders are coming from out of state, that represents a very substantial part of the state’s economy. New Hampshire and New Hampshire businesses have a strong financial incentive to take positive steps to protect the birding industry and natural bird habitat around the state.
The study showed that the most sought birds by birders were waterfowl such as ducks. Of course, waterfowl need wetlands for feeding and reproduction. Preservation of unspoiled wetlands should be a priority for retailers, and other New Hampshire businesses that benefit from some of the more than $35 billion dollars spent on birdwatching each year. Forests and riparian areas are also important bird habitat for such popular birds as hawks, eagles, and many brightly colored songbirds. Communities with the ability to preserve bird habitat through the acquisition of permanent easements for the protection of those lands, should take a hint from the USFWS study. Birding habitat that is made available for public use and promoted as such draws birding tourists and their tourist dollars. Actively seeking out endangered or threatened species and setting aside habitat for them makes sense not only in terms of our responsibility as stewards of the environment, but also in terms of dollars and cents.
New Hampshire communities seeking to increase their share of those birding dollars, would be wise to work with local conservation and land management groups to identify and protect important bird areas within their boundaries. To date, birdwatching has grown as a hobby and an industry with relatively little active promotion. If states and communities were a bit more proactive in identifying themselves as birdwatching destinations, who knows how much higher that annual $35 billion in birdwatching spending might go, and who knows how much of it might go to those communities who take the lead in supporting this industry.
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