“The National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated Recreation has been conducted about every five years since 1955. It provides information on the number of participants in fishing, hunting, and wildlife watching (observing, photographing, and feeding wildlife), and the amount of time and money spent on these activities.
The Survey is one of the Nation’s most important wildlife recreation databases. It is the only source of comprehensive information on participation and expenditures that is comparable on a state-by-state basis. It is used for estimating the economic impact of wildlife-related recreation for each state; for estimating the value of wildlife resources lost due to pollution or disease such as whirling disease in fish; for use in critical habitat analysis of threatened species; and for preparing environmental impact statements, budgets, and legislative proposals.”