IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) has released participation and spending data about fishing, hunting, and associated wildlife recreation in Washington in 2022. Survey results showed that approximately 290,000 people went hunting, 1.2 million people went fishing, and 6.2 million people watched wildlife in Washington in 2022. Participants spent more than $9 billion dollars on equipment and trip-related expenses across all activities during this timeframe. In 2022, 4.4 million Washingtonians – 72% of the state’s population – participated in wildlife-related recreation, and 2.5 million traveled at least a mile from their homes to do so.
We birders are a huge part of the above wildlife watchers and, as such, can have a huge impact on the decisions that WDFW makes!
https://wdfw.wa.gov/publications/02466
Photo credit: BHAS field trip, by Elizabeth Hill.
