Bacon's Rebellion

Nature’s Last Stand in NVA

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by

James A. Bacon
in

Eco-tourism is often touted as an answer to Southwest Virginia’s economic woes, but NVA istaking advantage of it, too. Today’s Washington Post reports on the opening of the Virginia Wildlife and Birding Trail in Fauquier County. Tourism officials think it will be a hit with “exhausted, traffic-weary Washingtonians.”

It’s run by the embattled Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, whose officials were recently observing wildlife and birds in Zimbabwe.

There’s a definite economic development reason to create trails like this: “In Virginia, people spent $788 million on wildlife-watching activities in 2001, according to a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service survey. Most of them, 1.8 million, were looking at birds.”

Perhaps Middleburg residents will use the trail to escape Salamander Hospitality’s evil resort and spa.

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  1. Ray Hyde Avatar
    Ray Hyde

    It is pretty close to ten miles from the Thompson Wildlife refuge to the closest place to spend money. If this plan is predicated on the amount of money spent on Ho-Ho’s in country convenience stores, then it is not going to be a big winner.

    Then of course we will have to substantially improve Rte 688 to handle all the traffic streaming out of the city. The Chief of Police in Warrenton has dubbed them “Weekend Refugees”.

    If all the refugees go to the wildlife refuge, how does the wildlife get a break?

    Seriously though, the trail is a great idea and deserves our support.

  2. subpatre Avatar
    subpatre

    Nothing personal (!) but DGIF’s primarily funded by license fees: hunting licenses and fishing licenses. It’s based on the –apparently now silly– notion that users would finance the department. It worked for decades, giving Virginia an nationwide stature for outstanding wildlife management at insignificant cost to the non-sporting public.

    First Virginia’s hunters, fishers, and boaters got to sponsor African safaris for Warner’s special friends. And no, much of the “necessary equipment” like special boots was ultimately “justified”, so it’s not been reinbursed. Now the common folk get to subsidize the non-reality based NOVA crowd stomping through a not-really-Disney disneyland; the same folks who can’t control (actually refuse to allow reasonable control of) their own wildlife problems without SWAT teams. This at a time when wardens are 30% (last count and dropping) understrength, and the department’s reputation blocks new recruiting.

    A once premiere Department’s been ransacked and gutted by Warner’s administration; graft and corruption that makes Mexico look like moral leaders. My opinion of Virginia Republicans will drop through the floor if they can’t use this ‘gift’ from Warner in the upcoming races.

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