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ObviousK, we would like to attract international travelers to our nature destinations as well as 

 keep our American tourists at home. 



Teaming with Wildlife, therefore, may be viewed as an economic development effort as well as a 

 conservation initiative. Nature-based tourism is predominantly non-urban, and the moneys 

 contributed b\' birders, butterfly watchers, and beetle collectors have a substantial impact on 

 communities struggling to develop aitemarive economic strategies. In the nonpartisan UTiite 

 House Conference on Tourism held in October 1995, representatives of the United States tourism 

 industry urged the preservation of "our natural, historic, and cultural resources for future 

 generations and expand urban and rural economic development opp)ortunities through a national 

 strategy for fostering environmental and cultural travel and tourism." I suggest that Teaming with 

 Wildlife is a ke>' component of this national strategy. Please lend your support to this critical 

 initiative to conserve the nature resources which is the foundation for this critically important 

 industp. . Please allow conservation to pay. 



