Outdoor Recreation Is Growing
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service reports that its latest survey of fishing, hunting and wildlife-associated recreation shows that more people are spending time observing and photographing wildlife, but fewer are hunting and fishing.

The survey, based on interviews conducted in 2006, found that 87.5 million U.S. residents 16 and older participated in wildlife-related recreation last year, a 6 percent increase since 2001. But the number of hunters and anglers fell from 37.8 million to 33.9 million in the same period.

Outdoor recreation remains big business, with $41 billion spent on fishing in 2006, $23 billion on hunting and $11 billion on items that could be used for both. Total spending on wildlife-related recreation was estimated at $120 billion.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has conducted the survey every five years since 1955. The full survey and additional reports can be downloaded at http://federalasst.fws.govsurveys/surveys.html.
Thor Promotes Riegel
Richard (Dicky) E. Riegel III, has been promoted from group president of Thor Industries to chief operating officer, with all subsidiaries reporting to him. He joined Thor as vice president of corporate development in 1998 and later became president of the company’s Airstream division.
Thor succeeds H. Coleman Davis III, who remains as a Thor board member and as chairman of Keystone RV, Thor’s largest subsidiary.

New Requirements for Boaters
Starting in 2008, the State of Washington will begin phasing in a requirement that boat operators pass a boater safety education course and carry a Washington State Boater Education Card while operating a boat. The law will apply only to young people from 12 to 20 years of age the first year. But the requirement will be expanded to everyone 25 and younger the following year and cover additional age groups each year thereafter, until it applies to everyone under 60 by the year 2014. Anyone born before 1955 is exempt.

To meet the education requirements, boaters can take a course online or in a classroom, or can take an exam at home by purchasing the Adventures in Washington home-study course. Cards cost $10 and are good for a lifetime. For information on the boater education program, visit www.parks.wa.gov/boating or call (360) 902-8844.

Utah Launches Tourism Campaign
The Utah Office of Tourism has launched a $1.9 million winter ad campaign, including television commercials on cable stations across the country, to promote Utah as the home of the “Greatest Snow on Earth.” The campaign includes magazine ads and interactive advertising on travel-related Web sites. You can find Utah tourism information online at www.utahtravel.com or by calling the tourism office at (800) 200-1160.

Ski Resorts Backs Green Energy
Taos Ski Valley resort in New Mexico has initiated a SkiGreenTag program to encourage skiers to help offset pollution from global warming by supporting renewable energy. Skiers at Taos Ski Valley can buy a SkiGreen tag for $2 or add a tag to their season pass for $20.

The money goes to support the development of solar and wind power and watershed restoration through the Bonneville Environmental Foundation of Portland, Oregon. A number of other ski resorts are participating in the Green Tag program. For more information, visit, greentagsusa.org.

Tonopah Opens Visitor Center
Nevada’s historic mining town of Tonopah, situated midway between Las Vegas and Reno on U.S. Highway 95, has opened a “green” visitor center in a building made of recycled materials and powered by solar and wind energy. Displays inside the center show how solar and wind energy is converted to usable power.

The new center also offers maps and brochures showing what to see and do in Tonopah and around the state. Tonapah is part of the Nevada Silver Trails, a chain of towns along U.S. Highway 95 where tourists can explore the mining era of the 1800s. For information about the area, visit www.nevadasilvertrails.com.

Mt. St. Helen Visitor Center Closes
One of two visitor centers at Mount St. Helens has been closed by federal budget cuts, but a second one, managed by Washington state parks, remains open. The U.S. Forest Service closed the Coldwater Ridge Visitor Center on Nov. 5. The Mount St. Helens Visitor Center at Silver Lake, near Seaquest State Park, remains open year-round.

The Silver Lake center was established by the U.S. Forest Service, but has been managed by the state since 2000 and ownerships was transferred to the state earlier this year. The center is open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily from October through April and from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. from May through September. The center is at 3029 Spirit Lake Highway, Castle Rock, five miles from Interstate 5 on State Route 504.