Martinsville Bulletin, Inc.
P. O. Box 3711
204 Broad Street
Martinsville, Virginia 24115
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David K. Whitehurst |
Friday, February 16, 2007
By SHAWN HOPKINS - Bulletin Staff Writer
Ecotourism is more than just a fast-growing yet under-utilized way for local communities to make money, a state tourism official said at a meeting at Patrick Henry Community College on Thursday.
It is also a key element in conserving wildlife and wildlife habitats.
“I can do a better job of protecting conservation areas if I allow people to use them than if I lock them up,” said David K. Whitehurst, director of the Wildlife Diversity Division of the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries.
Whitehurst spoke at a meeting hosted by the Martinsville-Henry County Rivers and Trails Group, a local affiliate of the Dan River Basin Association (DRBA), that was attended by more than 30 people.
Hunters have for years provided money to help preserve fish and game species, Whitehurst said, but funding for non-game species such as birds have been scarce.
He said it is important to foster the growing interest in hiking, birdwatching and exploring natural areas.
“People have to value something before it’s protected,” Whitehurst said.
Whitehurst talked about the state’s Wildlife Action Plan, which served as sort of a “health check” for the state’s animals, fish and birds.
People might think that the wildlife is doing well, he said, but studies done as part of the plan show otherwise.
“I’m here today to tell you it’s not,” Whitehurst said.
There are 925 threatened species in Virginia if invertebrates such as insects and mussels are considered, he said, including 24 out of 85 mammals, 96 of 374 species of birds and 97 of 210 species of fish.
The major reason for this is destruction of habitat for homes and developments, Whitehurst said. Virginian’s are just “consuming land like crazy,” he added.
Creating successful ecotourism opportunities will not only help provide a reason to preserve these threatened habitats, he said, it will bring footprints and money into the local area.
“When they (ecotourists) get excited about these things they like to go places. They like to spend money. They like to enjoy themselves,” he said.
The local community can benefit from the growing number of educated, affluent, health-conscious ecotourists who are seeking natural areas to escape the “rat race,” Whitehurst said.
But to do that it must develop a plan. Whitehurst stressed that the plan be comprehensive, including not only nature sites but also amenities such as hotels, bed and breakfasts, good restaurants, and historical and cultural sites.
Tourists expect quality lodging and eating opportunities, he said. Ecotourists also tend to be interested in hiking and other opportunities for healthy exercise.
When creating its plan a community must find what makes it unique and build on that.
“You’ve got to carve a niche for yourself. You’ve got to brand yourself. You’ve got to market yourself,” Whitehurst said.
Ecotourism is “big business,” he said, the “fastest growing sector of tourism” with $38.4 billion spent in the nation in 2001, and communities should not be afraid to ask government for marketing money.
Whitehurst said such plans also work better if they are spread across a regional area, so it helps to forget some standard boundaries for competition, like the county line.
Whitehurst talked about some existing ecotourism opportunities in the community such as hiking trails, the Virginia Birding and Wildlife Trail that has stops in Henry County, and underused wildlife management areas like the Fairystone Farms Wildlife Management Area.
Wildlife management areas are primarily used by hunters, he said, but they could be a boon to local communities if the state can find a way to get more birders and hikers interested in them.
“I think you’ve got some great opportunities,” Whitehurst said, and it is in the area’s “best interest” to develop them in a pro-conservation way.
Local DRBA Planning and Program Director Katherine Hebert said she felt Whitehurst’s speech had hit on a number of “key points,” especially the need to package the communities’ tourism opportunities together.
She said she was pleased with the turnout, which included a number of local officials and prominent tourism and conservation activists, because it showed “people really care about” conservation in this community.
For more information about Virginia’s Wildlife Action Plan, visit www.BeWildVirginia.org. |
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