From: chuck@sage.cgd.ucar.edu (Chuck D'Ambra)
Subject: Nature Conservancy (was Re: Hunters: Legitimate concern?)
Reply-To: chuck@sage.cgd.ucar.edu
Organization: The Big Cracker
Date: Tue, 21 Jul 1992 23:20:52 GMT

I promised to post an address for the Nature Conservancy for those who might
want to get additional info.  Here it is:

The Nature Conservancy
1815 North Lynn Street
Arlington, Virginia 22209 (USA)

Now, I'll make it even easier.  I have a form from them for nominating new
members.  E-mail me your name and address by Friday, July 24, and I'll send
it to them for you.  (You will be under no obligation to contribute, and I
will not use your name and address for any other purpose.)

Thanks to Robert Black for posting useful info on this organization.

In article <2wpxjsp@rpi.edu>, vanetten@unix.cie.rpi.edu (John S. Van Etten) writes:
 [ discussion of the magnitude of contributions to environmental organizations
    vs. hunter organizations ]

> My source puts the "total" figure around $30-40 million for *all* the
> well known (large) non-hunter environmental organizations such as the
> Audubon Society.  I don't know how many of the smaller ones got left
> out.  As I said, I'll try to scrounge up more data for us to look at.

I find this figure impossible to believe.  We do need to get some real
numbers.  I've just asked the Nature Conservancy to send me a copy of their
1991 Annual Report, from which I should be able to get their contributions.
I believe you said you were a member of the Audubon Society, so perhaps
you could find how much is contributed to it.

> >That's not the end of the story.  Many non-hunting uses of the outdoors
> >have user fees and other charges that are directed to preserving and
> >enhancing the natural environment.  Admission fees to national parks
> >are one example.  It's $5 for a one week car pass into the U.S. national
> >parks now.  How many such visits are there per year?  I don't know, but
> >we could estimate $100-500 million from this one source.
> 
> Your estimate seems a little high to me.

On the local news last night I heard there were 3 million annual visitors
to Rocky Mountain National Park.  At least a few of the others (e.g. Yosemite,
Yellowstone, Grand Canyon) have more visitors.  Of course, the occupancy
per vehicle is greater than 1.  I'll revise my estimate to $50-150 million
"from this one source".  Other fees, such as at campgrounds, would augment
this figure.

>   Also, at least here in NY,
> the (state) parks are only allowed to charge their fees in order to
> provide maintenance on the park itself (cars and salaries for the park
> police and rangers, snowplows, buildings, salaries for the guys that
> mow the lawns and trim the bushes, etc., etc.).  They are not allowed
> to operate for "profit" and generate funds for the buying of new
> lands or anything like that.  I thought the same was true of the
> national parks [...]

I don't see where we were limiting our discussion to purchase of new lands.
Groups like the Nature Conservancy and hunter organizations that
acquire/preserve new lands for habitat are going to be small percentages of
the totals you claim are dominated by the hunter side.  Money collected
from park fees contributes to preserving and maintaining these lands,
just as much of the contributions and fees from hunters is directed to
short and long term management of hunting.

--------------------
Chuck D'Ambra
chuck@sage.cgd.ucar.edu