Outdoor Recreation, Ecological Economics, Ecosystem Services, Restoration, Estuary

1. Leveraging Olympia’s Tourism Assets
Arguments:
1) Restoration is a tourism draw
2) Olympia and Thurston County are
underperforming in tourism
3) The Deschutes Estuary is an
underutilized asset for tourism
4) Tourism improves the Return on
Investment (“ROI”) analysis

2. Restoration Effect on Visitation
• Elwha Visitation increased 300% with 300,000 new visitors
• Average $53.21 per day expenditures would yield roughly
$16.0 million in increased consumer expenditures per year
• Nisqually NWR visitation increased 25% above
• Average $20 per day expenditures would yield
$800,000 increased expenditures per year

3. Olympia Underperforming:
Northwest Tourism & Travel Spending
$0
$1,000,000,000
$2,000,000,000
$3,000,000,000
$4,000,000,000
$5,000,000,000
$6,000,000,000
$7,000,000,000
Seattle Area Portland Area Vancouver Area Victoria Area Pierce County Spokane County Bend (Central Oregon) Eugene (Lane County) Clark County
(Vancouver, WA)
Olympia Area
Estimated Total Visitor Spending
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
$3,500
$4,000
$4,500
Seattle Area Portland Area Vancouver Area Victoria Area Pierce County Spokane County Bend (Central Oregon) Eugene (Lane County)Clark County (Vancouver, WA) Olympia Area
Estimated Per Capita Visitor Spending

5. Tourism & Travel Spending Rising in the Northwest
$100
$120
$140
$160
$180
$200
$220
1998 2003
Tourism Spending in the Olympia Area (millions)

6. Olympia: Perfect Location to Capture Tourism

7. Jobs: Tourism, Visitors, and Outdoor Recreation

8. Economics of Outdoor Recreation in Thurston County:
$755 mm/year per year; $209.7 mm/year overnight visitors
Estimated outdoor recreation related expenditures of both residents and visitors equals $755 Billion/year;
overnight visitor spending is estimated at $209.7 million in 2003
Events
18%
Fishing
17%
Motorized Boating &
Sailing
15%
Local Parks
12%
Horseback Riding
7%
Non-Motorized
Paddle Sports
5%
Private Golf (Days of
Golf)
5%
State DNR Lands
5%
Inner tubing or
floating
2%
Swimming
(outdoor pools)
2%
Swimming in natural
waters
2%
State
Parks
2%
Private Timberland
Recreation
2%
Municipal Golf
1%
Scuba
diving
1%
National Wildlife
Refuges
1%
WA F&W
Game Mgmt
Units
1%
WA F&W Wildlife
Mgmt Areas
0%

9. Attracting Visitors with an Estuary

11. Return on Investment for Deschutes Restoration
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
5% 10% 20% 50% 300%
YearstoPayback
Projected Percentage Increase in Visitation Economic Contribution
Alt A Low
Alt A Avg
Alt A High
Alt B Low
Alt B Avg
Alt B High
Alt D Low
Alt D Avg
Alt D High
Nisqually NWR
Elwha District
Visitor Increase
Assumptions
$755,537,000 in Outdoor Recreation Consumer Expenditures (Residents + Visitors)
$476,050,000 Outdoor Recreation Contribution (Residents + Visitors – Imports, 2015)
63.0% Thurston County Multiplier
$209,700,000 Overnight Visitor Spending (2003)
$132,111,000 Overnight Visitor Contribution
*Cost Alternative Range: $82.5 to $150.1 million
*Does not include any Federal or State Grant
Assistance, which would further narrow the
Years to Payback

13. • $1.7 million to $5.7 million annually in
additional benefits NOT including jobs
provided by restoration and study of
restoration
Ecosystem Services Improvement
Ecosystem Services Changed
Beaches $571 $10,763
Estuary
Waters $2,344 $235,204
Salt Marsh $17,074 $5,460,840
Mid Forest $308 $4,592
Lake Loss -$14,103 -$3,994,917
Low Per
Acre
High Per
Acre
Beaches $151 $2,846
Wetland $3,236 $110,180
Salt Marsh $359 $114,739
Estuary
Waters $19 $1,869
Marine
Waters $259 $773
Mid Forest $73 $1,093
Rivers/Lakes $77 $2,2013