American economy surges, birders to thank

According to the Coulee Region Audubon Society, .3% of Americans are employed thanks to birdwatching. Additionally, a full 17% of Americans are birders.

With the Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Act set to expire in 2005, Congressman Kind's work to get the act reauthorized ahead of schedule sends a very positive message to the nearly 50-million birders in the United States that this is a program that works and deserves to be expanded. According to the US Fish and Wildlife Service, American birders spent more than $40 billion [yes, that's billion with a "b," or 10% of the federal budget deficit] on Bird Watching in 2001 alone, and birdwatching has created more than 850,000 jobs for American workers. Congress recently approved $4 million for the program in the 2005 omnibus spending bill.

How do you become a birder? I like looking at birds. Am I a birder?

Ah, if it means fueling the economy, I'll call myself a birder!