CHAFIER 2: AFFKCTEDKNVtRONMENT 



The economic sectors most likely to be affected by wolf restoration are agriculture and tourism, including 

 outfitting related to hunting and eco-tourism/wildlife viewing. Table 12 shows the key economic sectors 

 (types of business producing similar goods and services) broken out at the finest level of detail available. 

 Farm output (the total value of goods and services produced) accounts for approximately 6.3% of total 

 state output. Farm income accounted for about 2% of the total personal income in the state, and livestock 

 accounted for 48% of the value of farm products sold in the state in 1998 (Montana Agricultural Statistics 

 Service 1999). 



Tourism is also important "industry" in Montana. Visitors come to Montana in large numbers year round 

 to see parks and wilderness areas, ski, float rivers, fish, hunt, and simply enjoy scenery. While they're 

 here, these visitors spend large amounts of money for food, lodging, license fees, guide fees, and gifts 

 among other recreation-related spending. These expenditures, in turn, have a large impact on incomes 

 and employment in the region. Duffield et al. (2001 ) found that visitors to YNP who came from outside 

 the three-state region of Montana, Idaho and Wyoming spent an average of $680 per person in the three 

 states for winter visits in the region and $291 per person while on summer trips. Economic activity 

 associated with tourism is captured by a number of sectors, including transportation services, hotels and 

 other lodging, recreation services, and retail trade (Table 12). However, these sectors also include 

 economic activity not specifically tied to tourist spending, so it is difficult to extract the total percentage 

 of state economic output associated with tourism from Table 1 2. Nonetheless, the tourism industry is 

 consistently ranked in the top three industries (as measured in total output). 



Outfitting of all kinds, including fishing, hunting and ecotourism are combined into the recreation 

 services sector of Montana's economy. This also includes skiing and other tourist services. Both big 

 game hunting and outfitting services have a strong link to the level of economic activity through hunter 

 expenditures. The 1996 National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated Recreation found 

 that U.S. residents spent $216 million in Montana on hunting trips, equipment, and licenses (USFWS and 

 U.S. Department of Commerce 1998). USFWS estimated that of hunting-related expenditures within 

 Montana, $182 million was spent specifically for hunting trips and equipment. About 69% of this, or 

 $126 million, was specifically spent for big game hunting. Of the total hunting trip-related spending in 

 Montana in 1996, nonresidents spent 65% of the total (Table 13). FWP studies have demonstrated that 

 trip-related hunting expenditures are even higher than the national survey results. Residents and 

 nonresidents spend an average of $186.9 million on their hunting trips in Montana annually (Duffield and 

 FWP 1988). Approximately 45% of those expenditures are by nonresidents. 



Non-hunting outfitting appears to be increasing in Montana, particularly for visitafion in Montana's 

 national forest roadless or wilderness areas. (Adams 2000). According to a 1998 survey of outfitters 

 using these wildland areas, hunters accounted for less than 14% of all clients and a fifth of their service 

 days. A similar survey published in 1990 found that in the Montana commercial outfitting industry as a 

 whole, 24% of clients were hunters (Taylor and Reilly 1990). Possible explanations for the shift include 

 changing interests in outdoor recreation away from hunting, thus changing consumer demand, and a need 

 for outfitters to generate income during other seasons of the year. Those non-resident clients who do not 

 hunt but utilized the services of a wildland outfitter for outdoor recreation (e.g. wildlife viewing, or 

 photography) spent $37.2 million for food/lodging, transportation, and outfitter fees in Montana in 1998 

 (Adams 2000). 



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