Although Americans are increasingly interested in wildlife viewing activities, agencies face the dilemma of paying for such programs. Manfredo, who conducted the survey with graduate student Cynthia Pierce, explained that the survey highlights the need for new ways to fund wildlife viewing programs. One suggested way to pay for wildlife viewing programs is legislation called Teaming with Wildlife, which would impose a special tax on recreation equipment associated with wildlife viewing, such as binoculars. Congress is scheduled to consider the legislation this year. Similar taxes imposed on hunting and fishing equipment already have proven successful in helping state agencies manage hunting and fishing programs, Pierce said.
National surveys indicate the general public is willing to support wildlife viewing programs.
The purpose of this latest survey was to determine whether efforts to provide wildlife viewing opportunities were keeping pace with public demand. The survey revealed regional differences in the availability of such recreation activities. Forty-four percent of state wildlife agencies in the northeastern part of the United States and Canada have wildlife viewing programs, compared with 73 percent in the Southeast and 86 percent in both the Midwest and the West.