Restoring the Deschutes River Estuary, Olympia, WA

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

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

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

Tourism & Travel Spending Rising in the Northwest

$100

$120

$140

$160

$180

$200

$220

1998 2003

Tourism Spending in the Olympia Area (millions)

Olympia: Perfect Location to Capture Tourism

Jobs: Tourism, Visitors, and Outdoor Recreation

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

Events18%

Fishing17%

Motorized Boating & Sailing 15%

Local Parks12%

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 Golf1%

Scuba diving

1%

National Wildlife Refuges

1%

WA F&W Game Mgmt

Units 1%

WA F&W Wildlife Mgmt Areas

0%

Attracting Visitors with an Estuary

Return on Investment for Deschutes Restoration

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

5% 10% 20% 50% 300%

Year

s to

Pay

bac

k

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 DistrictVisitor 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

• $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