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28 -- PORT PERRY STAR -- Thursday, December 27, 1990 The value of Wildlife-related activities Donald Fraser, Toronto biologist and bird-watcher, rhvmes off the costs of his passion -- known as 'birding' to those in the know. "You need a paiy of bihoculars -- that's anywhere from $200 to $2,000, and, of course, keeners have several pairs. Then a good functional field guide costs from . $15 to $40. And most serious birders have a telescope or spot- ting scope on.a tripod, which together range from about $400 to $2,500." These kinds of figures are the raw material of a recently releas- ed study on the economic benefits of wildlife-related activities, titl- ed The Importance of Wildlife to Canadians in 1987: The Economic Significance of Wildlife-Related Recreational Activities. Donald Fraser and thousands of other On- tario residents who watch, hunt, photograph and feed wildlife, and who work to protect natural areas of the province, spend millions of dollars pursuing their interests. Those dollars translate into jobs and other economic benefits for the province. For 1987, the figures are 60,000 jobs and more than $2.2 billion added to Ontario's gross domestic product. Birders and other wildlife en- thusiasts spend money in more than just equipment. Expen- ditures include items such as transportation, food and accom- modation. Many Ontarians travel to provincial parks such as Long Point, Rondeau and Presqu'ile to look for birds; and Point Pelee National Park is a Canadian mec- ca for birders. A whole tourist in- dustry has grown up in local towns, such as Leamington and Wheatley, to cater to the visitors. "In May, which is spring migration time at Point Pelee, you have to book a room a year in advance or you won't have a hope of getting one,' reports Fraser. '"And local restaurants open at 5 IF YOUR AD WAS HERE Over 20,000 people could have read it this week. That's a lot of potential customers for your business. For advertising Made Easy call the PORT PERRY STAR - 985-7383 . a.m. to feed the early risers." The economic study is based on data from the 1987 Survey On The Importance Of Wildlife To Cana- dians, which was jointly funded by the federal and provincial wildlife agencies across Canada. The survey results were released last year. Since then, analysts have been translating the raw data into province-by-province statistics. Residents of Ontario spent more than $1.6 billion on wildlife- related activities during 1987. Hunting accounted for $314 million, or 19 per cent of the total. The other $1.3 billion was spent on watching and photographing wildlife, on wildlife organizations, and on natural area preservation. This spending generated more than $363 million in tax revenue for local and provincial governments. The study points out that if wildlife in Ontario is conserved and protected, these economic benefits can be sustained into the future. Recreation related to On- tario's wildlife can therefore be considered to have a present value, much like a bank account, which provides annual "interest"' payments in the form of the benefits the province receives. Based on the economic benefits revealed by this study, the pre- sent value of wildlife-related recreation by residents of Ontario ranges between $3.7 billion and $7.4 billion. Donald Fraser is a good exam- ple of the long-term commitment of wildlife enthusiasts. As a Canada's Green Plan is the plan for the whole country. It's about the commitments f I] ! | | new environmental action | | we need to make now, for our own good and the good of our children. Righting en- vironmental wrongs is part of the Plan. protection measures. And it supports extensive scientific study, education and cooperative efforts throughout Canada and around the world. Through action and information, Canada's Green Plan sets out the means by which Canadians can curb air, water and land pollution, cut waste, and maintain a healthy environment 1 INTRODUCING CANADA'S GREEN PLAN FOR A HEALTHY ENVIRONMENT. Canada's Green Plan includes new programs and regulations. clear targets and schedules. And. most importantly. it includes all of us -- governments. industry. and individuals -- as "environmental citizens." What's in it for all of us. The Plan begins with major waterway clean-ups. new air and water quality standards, wasle management programs and land G 1 Gouve t Bell EE Soe from which we'll all benefit. How to take part in the Plan. It's easy to obtain information on Canada's Green Plan andghow to be part of it. To get a summary of the Plan. as well as general _ \) tips for everyone, > ¥ just call the toll-free / number or send in A An. BPAL the coupon. CANADA'S GREEN PLAN IT'S A BEAUTIFUL HOME, | BUT WE ALL HAVE | TO DO THE HOUSEWORK. i © Support organizations that work } ito protect and improve the | {environment in your community. ie Join -- or start -- a local i recycling program. : Minis sins sana insite sas Ras Aa sR SS aa op Sho For Information Call Toll-Free: 1 800 668-6767 Or complete and mail to CANADA'S GREEN PLAN, Ottawa. Ontario, K1A 089 PLEASE SEND ME INFORMATION ON CANADA S GREEN PLAN AND THINGS LOAN DO POR THE ENVIRONMENT TOONAMI © ADDRESS _ DOTY i RR ---- om. teenager, he spent every weekend birding. Now that he's a family man in his 30s, he has other priorities. But his annyal vacation is still spent in pursuit of birds. And his library of bird books, which he describes as modest other birders, has continued to grow. Today it includes almost 2,000 volumes. Copies of the study are available from Paul Gray of MNR's Wildlife Branch Room 3521, 99 Wellesley Street West, compared with the collections of Toronto, Ontario M7A 1W3. ROAD READY | by Ken Gadsden Anno Domini one thousand nine hundred and ninety is | about to become a memory. It's been anything but dull. The § headline writers have had a field-day as events on the Global, National, Provincial and local scene flooded out in a shock | producing deluge. Journalists, historians and analysts will | make a healthy dollar sifting though the cacaphony. 5 Meanwhile as people focus on these major concerns | they'll continue to lose sight of so called "Little Things," and | conditions on the road will deteriorate. They will that is, unless you and | do something about it! Attitudes towards driving and © driving performance itself must change generally if the road is to become more user friendly. I've detailed below a number of. these "Little Things" that are easily observed on any given day. Perhaps if we take note of them we can make the road a better place in 1991. HASTE A sense of urgency seems to grab many people when they get behind the wheel. This results in a number of safety i courtesy infractions. Why not relax, concentrate on the drive and enjoy it? That lkttle monkey that crawls into your gut and pressures you to rush will save you very little time if any, and could cause a collision. TAILGATING You see it everyday. The vehicle so close behind the one ahead that the bumpers are almost kissing. What's the point? {| What is a safe following distance? Experts use the two sec- © ond rule to determine how much space is required. Remem- £ ber you need reaction time and braking time to stop safely. § | Here's how the Canada Safety Council describe the two sec- = ond rule: "Under normal conditions, follow at a distance of at | least two seconds. When the driver ahead of you passes a § ¢{ fixed marker begin counting from the back of his vehicle to the_ § front of yours - "one thousand and one, one thousand and § L two." If you reach the mark before you've finished counting, &. | you are following too closely. Ease off the accelerator and § ~ basis confirms that your comfort distance is safe and as well § = helps your old brain to focus on the task at hand - driving! : placed by the rolling stop, where you keep on going unless : : most of the time, but nonetheless 40% of collisions ocgur at § {! intersections and 'many of them can be attributed to rolling § {{ stops. You must give yourself that extra fraction of a second | to carefully survey the scene before proceeding. How man i times have you heard the comment after an intersection colli- § | feel the rear end of your vehicle settle down. through street or highway." | Oshawa Rd., 7A & Island Rd.), the white stop lines are clearly § check yourself again. Under normal conditions the two second { time interval will provide you with sufficient distance to stop." Extra time is required if you are following a motorcycle § {they can stop very quickly}, if you are pulling a trailer, or if § road, weather or traffic conditions are less than ideal. Under § these conditions add more seconds to your following distance. My experience in dealing with professional drivers is that § while most are familiar with the two second rule, few take the §& time to actually go through the counting exercise when on the § road. I've pointed out to them that counting it out on a regular § STOP SIGNS The full stop seems to be a thing of the past. It's been re- you see someone coming on the through road. Works well : sion, "He came from nowhere. | didn't even see him" - He § didn't come from nowhere, you just didn't allow yourself enough time to see him. You can tell that you've made a complete stop when you Where must you stop? The Ontario Driver's handbook states "...Stop at the clearly marked stop line, or at the nearest © crosswalk {whether marked or not}, or if there is no stop line or crosswalk, at the edge of the travelled portion of the Notice how many drivers stop over those designated points. And now consider the next item. INTERSECTIONS At major intersections {e.g. 7A & Water St, 7A & the marked as are the yellow centre lines. Watch how many driv- : & ors shortcut across those lines when making left turns. Now & consider how many drivers stop beyond the stop lines. AHA | Formula for a collision - the shortcutter and the longstopper - # Bang! Stay in your proper lanes when turning at intersections. There's. more but we're approaching the bottom of the page so we'll carry this discussion on next week. In the mean- time let's resolve to do gur bit to make 1991 a safer year all round by driving and liviig responsibly and defensively. Happy New Year! |