by Jon Bogle, RDA Founding Member

The Pennsylvania Wilds offers our region a great opportunity to build a substantial and sustainable eco-tourism industry. Inexplicably and very unfortunately, Lycoming County's Visitors Bureau has a clearly stated position of ignoring this beautiful treasure.

 

The PA Wilds has over two million acres of pristine forest. That's an area larger than Yellowstone. With 29 state parks, great expanses of state forests, state game lands and the Allegheny National Forest, this area is definitely worth visiting.

 

There are hundreds of miles of rivers and streams including long stretches of National Wild and Scenic Rivers along the Allegheny and Clarion Rivers. Feeding the West Branch of the Susquehanna River are a number of major creeks flowing through scenic valleys fed by a multitude of small streams and runs. Many of these are habitats for native trout.

 

The Wilds has an almost intact ecosystem, missing only wolves and panthers. Elk are again thriving in Elk County and have become a major tourist draw. Along with the elk, the Pine Creek Gorge, Kinzua Bridge and the nationally known dark skies of Cherry Creek State Park are all focal points for visitors.

 

Williamsport is the largest city located in the PA Wilds and is geographically positioned to be the gateway for people coming from the large urban centers to the east and south. The Visitors Bureau's Director said visitors to the PA Wilds come to camp and do not stay in hotels or spend much money; however, more than 326,000 visitors came to the Wilds in 2010 and spent 1.5 billion dollars.

 

The North Star Survey

 

An online survey by North Star, done for the PA Wilds Center, strongly refutes the Visitors Bureau Director's opinion. The North Star Survey found that fewer than one out of three visitors to the Wilds camped. The survey profile shows slightly more female than male visitors, mostly middle age or older, and of middle to upper income. Of those surveyed, 93 percent were over 35 years old and the majority reported making more than 50,000 dollars per year. 

 

They mostly come from nearby metro areas and stay for less than a week. Primarily they want to experience our gorgeous countryside, hike, bird watch and see other wildlife. Generally they come looking for beauty and quiet, not excitement.

 

Overwhelmingly, they leave satisfied. Eighty-seven percent said they would very likely return and another eight percent said they would somewhat likely return. The PA Wilds Center estimated that for every dollar they spent on tourist promotion, the visitors they attracted spent 90 dollars. Click here to view results of the survey.

 

We Need the Business

 

Lycoming County's unemployment rate is currently at 7 percent while the national average is 4.9 percent. Over 4000 in our workforce are without jobs.  Less than 20 percent of the county's workforce has a college degree but the majority of the county's jobs are white collar jobs. Finding a job without a degree can be a struggle. Many of the rural townships have both high unemployment and high poverty. Sixteen percent of the county's residents live at or below the poverty line. Click here to see 2015 US census data.

 

The PA Wilds is a Natural Fit for Williamsport and Lycoming County

 

The Wilds offers a sustainable industry based on natural assets. Many of the jobs that would result from an invigorated Wilds economy can be filled by those without higher or specialized education.

 

There are many cabins and camps throughout the Wilds which sit empty most of the year. An educational outreach to cabin owners would inform them how they can make thousands of dollars a year through airbnb or other agencies by renting out their camps when they aren't using them. Bringing camps and vacation properties into the economy will spawn supporting businesses like cleaning, maintenance and rental agencies.

Click here to read the full article including what our Visitors Bureau could accomplish with several hundred thousand dollars received each year in hotel taxes.