[mou] Nedwspaper article on the economic impact of owls--long

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    Timberjay News Tower.Ely.Orr  Friday,  January 28, 2005
Volume 16, Issue 5
Owlers bring in surprising influx of dollars
By Steve Foss

Owls flew in from  Canada, and dollar bills floated down from their feathers=
.=20
=20
The timing couldn=E2=80=99t have been better. =20
The by-now-well-known record influx of great gray and northern hawk owls =20
began as early as October and swelled in earnest in November, bringing with=20=
it =20
birders from all across the United States and some foreign countries to witn=
ess=20
 the spectacle. =20
And they injected money into an economy that traditionally falters in early=20=
=20
winter, a time between the finish of hunting season and the snowy season of=20=
=20
snowmobiles. =20
It=E2=80=99s hard to put even a ballpark dollar figure on what that influx o=
f birders=20
 has meant to communities such as Eveleth, Cotton and others, but businesses=
=20
that  cater to travelers and are within striking distance of the so-called=20=
=E2=80=9C
owl alley=E2=80=9D  of St. Louis County Road 7 have plenty to say about bird=
ing traffic.=20
=20
=E2=80=9CAbout three weeks ago we put out a guest book,=E2=80=9D said Sandy=20=
Simek, owner of =20
the Wilbert Cafe in Cotton. =E2=80=9CWe have about 15 pages of people=E2=80=
=9D from New=20
Jersey,  Florida, Ohio, Texas. =20
Simek said that the traditional business dead zone of December and early =20
January actually brought July- and August-level business, and she attributes=
 =20
most of that to birders. =20
=E2=80=9CIt=E2=80=99s been huge,=E2=80=9D she said. =E2=80=9CWithout it, it=
=E2=80=99s tough to make a go in=20
January.  You have to depend on the (leftover) summer and deer season money.=
=E2=80=9D =20
Simek said the birding crowd is a generally friendly one, and the waitresses=
 =20
tend to strike up temporary friendships with groups that are birding for=20
several  days in a row, inquiring about their success and wishing them good=20=
luck. =20
=E2=80=9CThese people are so friendly,=E2=80=9D she said. =E2=80=9CThey come=
 from all parts of the =20
country. They come from places like Washington, D.C., and our prices probabl=
y =20
look pretty good to them.=E2=80=9D =20
Bill Aho echoes those sentiments. =20
Aho, owner/manager of the Super 8 Motel in Eveleth, declined to discuss in =20
detail the boost in business birders have brought, but said =E2=80=9Cit=E2=
=80=99s been a good =20
business for us. To me, it=E2=80=99s an untapped market that we don=E2=80=
=99t realize we=20
have.  I=E2=80=99m excited about that.=E2=80=9D =20
Aho said it=E2=80=99s simply a matter of good fortune that the Sax-Zim bog o=
wl alley =20
area is only about 10 miles from his motel. He said he makes it a point as a=
 =20
motel manager to strike up conversations with guests whenever possible, and=20
that  the level of excitement shown by birders over the owls, as well as a g=
ood=20
number  of hawk species, is high. =20
=E2=80=9CThe people are just excited,=E2=80=9D he said. =E2=80=9CThey are ve=
ry avid.=E2=80=9D =20
=E2=80=9CHe=E2=80=99s got a great facility,=E2=80=9D said Tom Rusch, the Min=
nesota Department of =20
Natural Resources area wildlife supervisor stationed in Tower. Rusch said mo=
st =20
people coming to the bog to bird stay in Duluth motels until word of mouth =20
reaches them about motels such as Aho=E2=80=99s. =20
=E2=80=9CHe=E2=80=99s getting out ahead of the curve,=E2=80=9D Rusch said. =20
Rusch, who traveled to the bog last weekend for a look around, said the firs=
t=20
 three people he saw were from Cleveland, Kansas City and San Diego, proof o=
f=20
 just how far people are traveling to see the owls. =20
But locals are just as busy. =20
Bill Tefft, a Vermilion Community College instructor and Ely birding guide,=20=
=20
took one large group of 15 to the bog on an owling outing in December, and h=
as=20
 guided several smaller groups since then. =20
While some were locals, others were from outside the area. And though the =20
prime owling area is 60 miles from Ely, many find their way to the town anyw=
ay, =20
Tefft said. =20
=E2=80=9COne small group I met in Eveleth later went up the North Shore and=20=
=20
eventually ended up in Ely, and a group of New Jersey birders after owls sta=
yed  in=20
Ely,=E2=80=9D he said, adding that he saw one group he=E2=80=99d recognized=20=
around town and =20
realized they=E2=80=99d been staying at an Ely bed and breakfast. =20
Tefft said that people who travel to the area to bird tend not just to be =20
after owl species, but others in the area as well, such as three-toed =20
woodpeckers. =20
=E2=80=9CWhen they come, they come with a long list of things to see besides=
 owls, =20
and they search out those areas,=E2=80=9D he said. =E2=80=9CIt=E2=80=99s exc=
iting to think of all the =20
people who are in town. What=E2=80=99s good for the region is good for the t=
own, and =20
vice versa.=E2=80=9D =20
_____________________________________________ =20
Good birding, =20
Al Batt

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  <TR>
    <TD align=3Dleft width=3D280>Timberjay&nbsp;News Tower.Ely.Orr&nbsp; Fri=
day,=20
      January 28, 2005</FONT></TD>
    <TD align=3Dright width=3D280>Volume 16, Issue 5</TD></TR></TBODY></TABL=
E><BR><SPAN=20
class=3Dheadline>Owlers bring in surprising influx of dollars</SPAN><BR><SPA=
N=20
class=3Dbyline>By Steve Foss</SPAN><BR><BR><SPAN class=3Dbody>Owls flew in f=
rom=20
Canada, and dollar bills floated down from their feathers.=20
<P>The timing couldn=E2=80=99t have been better.=20
<P>The by-now-well-known record influx of great gray and northern hawk owls=20
began as early as October and swelled in earnest in November, bringing with=20=
it=20
birders from all across the United States and some foreign countries to witn=
ess=20
the spectacle.=20
<P>And they injected money into an economy that traditionally falters in ear=
ly=20
winter, a time between the finish of hunting season and the snowy season of=20
snowmobiles.=20
<P>It=E2=80=99s hard to put even a ballpark dollar figure on what that influ=
x of birders=20
has meant to communities such as Eveleth, Cotton and others, but businesses=20=
that=20
cater to travelers and are within striking distance of the so-called =E2=80=
=9Cowl alley=E2=80=9D=20
of St. Louis County Road 7 have plenty to say about birding traffic.=20
<P>=E2=80=9CAbout three weeks ago we put out a guest book,=E2=80=9D said San=
dy Simek, owner of=20
the Wilbert Cafe in Cotton. =E2=80=9CWe have about 15 pages of people=E2=80=
=9D from New Jersey,=20
Florida, Ohio, Texas.=20
<P>Simek said that the traditional business dead zone of December and early=20
January actually brought July- and August-level business, and she attributes=
=20
most of that to birders.=20
<P>=E2=80=9CIt=E2=80=99s been huge,=E2=80=9D she said. =E2=80=9CWithout it,=20=
it=E2=80=99s tough to make a go in January.=20
You have to depend on the (leftover) summer and deer season money.=E2=80=9D=20
<P>Simek said the birding crowd is a generally friendly one, and the waitres=
ses=20
tend to strike up temporary friendships with groups that are birding for sev=
eral=20
days in a row, inquiring about their success and wishing them good luck.=20
<P>=E2=80=9CThese people are so friendly,=E2=80=9D she said. =E2=80=9CThey c=
ome from all parts of the=20
country. They come from places like Washington, D.C., and our prices probabl=
y=20
look pretty good to them.=E2=80=9D=20
<P>Bill Aho echoes those sentiments.=20
<P>Aho, owner/manager of the Super 8 Motel in Eveleth, declined to discuss i=
n=20
detail the boost in business birders have brought, but said =E2=80=9Cit=E2=
=80=99s been a good=20
business for us. To me, it=E2=80=99s an untapped market that we don=E2=80=
=99t realize we have.=20
I=E2=80=99m excited about that.=E2=80=9D=20
<P>Aho said it=E2=80=99s simply a matter of good fortune that the Sax-Zim bo=
g owl alley=20
area is only about 10 miles from his motel. He said he makes it a point as a=
=20
motel manager to strike up conversations with guests whenever possible, and=20=
that=20
the level of excitement shown by birders over the owls, as well as a good nu=
mber=20
of hawk species, is high.=20
<P>=E2=80=9CThe people are just excited,=E2=80=9D he said. =E2=80=9CThey are=
 very avid.=E2=80=9D=20
<P>=E2=80=9CHe=E2=80=99s got a great facility,=E2=80=9D said Tom Rusch, the=20=
Minnesota Department of=20
Natural Resources area wildlife supervisor stationed in Tower. Rusch said mo=
st=20
people coming to the bog to bird stay in Duluth motels until word of mouth=20
reaches them about motels such as Aho=E2=80=99s.=20
<P>=E2=80=9CHe=E2=80=99s getting out ahead of the curve,=E2=80=9D Rusch said=
.=20
<P>Rusch, who traveled to the bog last weekend for a look around, said the f=
irst=20
three people he saw were from Cleveland, Kansas City and San Diego, proof of=
=20
just how far people are traveling to see the owls.=20
<P>But locals are just as busy.=20
<P>Bill Tefft, a Vermilion Community College instructor and Ely birding guid=
e,=20
took one large group of 15 to the bog on an owling outing in December, and h=
as=20
guided several smaller groups since then.=20
<P>While some were locals, others were from outside the area. And though the=
=20
prime owling area is 60 miles from Ely, many find their way to the town anyw=
ay,=20
Tefft said.=20
<P>=E2=80=9COne small group I met in Eveleth later went up the North Shore a=
nd=20
eventually ended up in Ely, and a group of New Jersey birders after owls sta=
yed=20
in Ely,=E2=80=9D he said, adding that he saw one group he=E2=80=99d recogniz=
ed around town and=20
realized they=E2=80=99d been staying at an Ely bed and breakfast.=20
<P>Tefft said that people who travel to the area to bird tend not just to be=
=20
after owl species, but others in the area as well, such as three-toed=20
woodpeckers.=20
<P>=E2=80=9CWhen they come, they come with a long list of things to see besi=
des owls,=20
and they search out those areas,=E2=80=9D he said. =E2=80=9CIt=E2=80=99s exc=
iting to think of all the=20
people who are in town. What=E2=80=99s good for the region is good for the t=
own, and=20
vice versa.=E2=80=9D=20
<P><STRONG>_____________________________________________</STRONG>=20
<P><STRONG>Good birding,</STRONG>=20
<P><STRONG>Al Batt</STRONG></P></SPAN></STRONG></DIV></FONT></BODY></HTML>

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