Lake developers target ecotourism to spur economic growth in region

PAWNEE CITY - Creating economic growth in the area through ecotourism is one of the key reasons for developing a lake near Pawnee City, according to Bryan Mellage, co-founder of the Auburn Lake Company.

“The group we’ve got is from southeast Nebraska and we’d like to see good things for southeast Nebraska,” he said, during a meeting of the project’s steering committee on Wednesday evening.

Mellage said the project, planned for south of Pawnee City, would have a regional effect.

“The final lake and project has to be big enough it will do something for the entire area,” he said. “And the lake idea we’re talking about can have that kind of impact.”

Mellage said the idea of ecotourism is using local people, local culture, local history and nature to bring people to the area.

“By having local people involved the money stays here,” he said.

Nebraska Department of Economic Development Ecotourism Development Consultant Tom Tabor said Nebraska has some of the same land types as the top ecotourism locations in the world, citing loess grasslands and the sandhills areas.

“It’s a matter of providing the right amenities,” he said, and with ecotourism that means using amenities that engage people with nature and local green resources.

Basically, ecotourism means responsible travel to natural areas which conserves the environment and improves the welfare of local people, he said.

Tabor said basically the characteristics of an ecotourism business are meant to have a low impact on the environment and area, using low-impact camping, limiting visitation to an area, supporting the work of conservation groups, insuring wildlife are not harmed and respecting the privacy and culture of local people.

Ecotourism activities engage a wide range of people with disposable income, with the average age of an ecotourist 55, but their ages range from 24-70 in activities like bird watching, hiking, fishing and hunting, he said.

Tabor said nationally there are 71 million wildlife watchers alone, and one-third of them travel away from home. They spent about $46 billion in 2006.

That outranks both fishing, with $42.2 billion spent, and hunting, with $22.9 billion spent, in 2006, he said.

Tabor said these people are motivated by love of the outdoors and nature and the opportunity to meet new people and experience new cultures.

So why is Nebraska’s tourism department interested in ecotourism, he said.

Tabor said 97 percent of the state is privately owned and ecotourism is an opportunity for them to create partnerships with landowners seeking to diversify their operations by allowing people to participate in bird and animal watching, hunting, fishing and other activities.

“The key is to create unique experiences,” he said.

Tabor encouraged those interested to contact him at ttabor@visitnebraska.org or 402-471-7755.

Tabor added that these kinds of activities not only benefit those directly involved, but nearby communities as well because tourists will stay in hotels, eat, travel by air or car and purchase equipment and mementos.

Mellage said he’s seen the potential first-hand, having a visit from relatives who live in a large city who were amazed at getting to ride along as he operated a combine.

“City people will pay to see these things,” he said. “There are dude ranches out there where people go and pay to do chores that are done on the farm. I hope this lake sparks these kinds of activities in this area.”