FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Billboard backers hope wolves, wildlife will stir Wallowa County tourism

Advertising effort draws attention to Wallowa County’s unique potential as Oregon’s eco- tourism hotspot

Amid continued controversy as USFWS authorizes a hunt for 2 of Oregon's 23 wolves, local citizens & conservationists work to get out the message about the positive impact of wolves and wildlife.

This billboard will greet drivers heading towards Oregon's wolf country.

A new billboard by NE Oregon Ecosystems will greet travelers in La Grande, OR near the Interstate exit onto Highway 82 eastbound. The ad displays a wolf and an American eagle against a backdrop of the Eagle Cap Wilderness, advertising the “Wallowa Country” as a tourist destination for wildlife watching.

“Wallowa County has one of Oregon's greatest raptor environments on the Zumwalt Prairie and is home to both of Oregon's two wolf packs. The draw of wolves, raptors, elk, even an occasional moose, wolverine, and now, buffalo – amid the largest native bunchgrass prairie in the NW, in the mountains and vales of two Wilderness Areas (one the largest in Oregon), and in spectacular Hells Canyon–makes our County a premier location for this booming recreational activity,” said Wally Sykes, a co-founder of NE Oregon Ecosystems.

Sykes pointed out that wildlife watchers spent $45 billion in 2006, and said they would like to see this region share in the booming industry. A recent study by the University of Montana showed that the desire to see wolves alone brings an additional $35 million a year to the area around Yellowstone National Park.

“Last year NE Oregon Ecosystems helped with some early wolf-related tours and events,” he said, “and the response was terrific. Local inns have had inquiries for this summer, and we've been contacted by tour operators hoping to set up regular scheduled excursions.”

He added that a growing number of visitors were interested in animal tracking, bird watching, photography, hiking, and camping, especially where they might hear a wolf howl, see its tracks or, best of all, actually have the thrill of seeing one.

“Wallowa County is already special because of its wilderness and wildlife, prairies and mountains, Hells Canyon, Wallowa Lake, the friendly people,” Sykes said. “For many, being in wolf country adds that extra draw that will make them choose our county over other destinations.”

The billboard, which will be up for a year, was paid for by NE Oregon Ecosystems with contributions by Oregon Wild, Hells Canyon Preservation Council and Defenders of Wildlife.

An earlier billboard by the same sponsors publicized the $10,000 reward for information on the illegal killer of the Wenaha Pack wolf shot last fall. That billboard was removed after a complaint by the property owner. It was replaced by local stockgrowers with an image of a menacing wolf and a political message.

NE Oregon Ecosystems is a group of Oregonians, mostly from Wallowa, Union, and Baker counties, who support sound conservation and environmental policies, and promote the economic benefits which they produce. Last year it sponsored showings of the documentary Lords of Nature in Baker City and Enterprise, and arranged a presentation by Timmothy Kaminski of Mountain Livestock Cooperative, Bozeman, Montana, on ways to reduce livestock/wolf conflict. It contributed last summer to the program which provided a range rider to patrol Wallowa County grazing allotments in wolf territory.

###