Salazar tours wildlife refuge in N.H., touts value to economy

August 20, 2011|Associated Press

(STEW MILNE/ASSOCIATED…)

PORTSMOUTH, N.H. - US Interior Secretary Ken Salazar wrapped up a weeklong trip through New England with a visit yesterday to New Hampshire’s Great Bay National Wildlife Refuge, taking a boat tour and walking along a new trail built by student volunteers.

“They’re very proud of the work they’ve done there over the summer,’’ Salazar said of the teenagers, members of the Youth Conservation Corps.

“They had a job, they earned a little bit of money, and they also have been able to help us do the work at a very important facility here in New Hampshire,’’ he said.

The refuge was established in 1992 and is one of the longest stretches of undeveloped shoreline along the bay. It contains mudflats, saltwater and freshwater marshes, swamps, ponds, streams, woodlands, and fields.

Salazar pointed out that the refuge has no on-site staff and depends on volunteers who assist with maintenance and managing invasive species.

“Our country could not have the world’s greatest system of wildlife refuges if it were not for the partnership and volunteerism of the American people,’’ he said.

Salazar said the youth volunteers are looking for opportunities for future jobs within the outdoor industry.

According to the Outdoor Industry Association, outdoor recreation supports 53,000 jobs in New Hampshire, generates $261 million in annual sales tax revenue, and produces nearly $4 billion in retail sales and services in the state.

Recreation in national parks, refuges, and other public lands alone contributed nearly $55 billion to the economy and accounted for 440,000 jobs in 2009, the Department of the Interior says.

Salazar also met with Eastern Mountain Sports and other outdoors-related businesses to talk about the importance of investing in public lands to promote economic growth and jobs.

He also urged strong support for the Land and Water Conservation Act, which funnels revenue from oil and gas development to support acquisition of land and waterways for conservation and recreation.

Each dollar from the fund generates $4 in economic activity.

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