Pennsylvania Elk Watching Project

Scope of Work

The project area for the Plan is primarily the area designated by the Game Commission (1996) as the Pennsylvania Elk Range. It includes part or all of Elk, Cameron, Clinton, Clearfield, and Centre Counties. A portion of southern Potter County is included because of the presence of elk in the Hammersley Wild Area. Other adjoining areas may be included during the study based on information provided by the Game Commission and DCNR, or as a result of interim findings during the course of the study. To this end, Fermata Inc. will work with interests in the region to define an appropriate Zone of Influence. The region or Zone of Influence (Zone) is that geographical area to which local communities and interests effectively and efficiently direct travel.

Work Schedule

• May 1, 2001: Work Begins
• August 15, 2001 submission of draft reports for work tasks 1, 2 and 3.
• September 15, 2001 submission of draft reports 5 and 6 or information suitable to support grant applications for Transportation Enhancement and Regional Marketing Grants.
• December 15, 2001: submission of draft reports 4, 5, 6.
• March 30, 2002 submission of final plan report with revisions reflecting comments from reviewing agencies.

Fermata Inc. will submit draft reports for each of the work tasks outlined below, for review and comment. These draft reports and any other materials developed for distribution to the public and the advisory committee, will be submitted in an electronic format as well as in hard copy suitable for duplication. Fermata Inc. will address comments submitted by the Project Management Team in preparation of the final report.

Work Plan

Fermata Inc. will develop a five-year plan to guide the development of elk viewing and related nature tourism opportunities, improve visitor services and support infrastructure, and promote elk watching and other nature tourism activities. Fermata also believes that the array of nature-based outdoor recreation opportunities in conjunction with elk watching is critical to promoting sustainable, profitable tourism in the region. A key goal of this activity will be to compliment elk visitation with these other opportunities throughout the year. The plan’s development will be coordinated, and be consistent with, the development of Pennsylvania’s Lumber Heritage Region Management Action Plan.

The project will include periodic public involvement activities throughout the development of the plan. Fermata will prepare public notices and mailings about the status of planning activities, participate in several rounds of public meetings, and seek comment on draft reports from the project study advisory committee and the general public. Fermata Inc. will place special emphasis on communicating to local businesses and entrepreneurs during the course of the project the potential for economic development related to the plan.

A wide array of consultative and participatory options exists for public involvement at different phases of this project. The specific mechanisms - focus groups, kitchen table meetings, newsletters, and informational website, press releases, etc. - will be determined by Fermata's public participation and marketing consultant, as work progresses and in consultation with the project steering committee. A variety of outcomes accompany the different methods of participation. Fermata will work closely with the project steering committee to identify the degree of shared decisionmaking (if any), which is sought at each phase. Fermata Inc. will utilize a team approach in working with the project management team as well as involving agency resource personnel in local meetings as well as major public meetings. Fermata Inc. employs an iterative planning process, and will use the Internet as a means of engaging stakeholders in a discussion about the project. Fermata Inc. will post materials, as they are developed, on the Fermata web site. These drafts will be accessible to the process management team before they are formally submitted, allowing for incremental (or iterative) amending. The intent is to create a transparent process that allows all interested parties input into the planning effort.

At least three major meetings to report the completion of specific tasks will be held during the project. The major meetings will be conducted in a public forum where stakeholders will be asked to comment on the progress of the project. Local meetings with stakeholders will be conducted on a consistent basis, based upon opportunity and need. Progress on the report will be communicated in a monthly newsletter to be produced by Fermata Inc. during the course of the project. Monthly reports detailing the progress of the report will be distributed to team members and appropriate personnel.

Fermata Inc. will begin work on or about May 1, 2001. Fermata Inc. will deliver the draft reports on or before the dates required in the RFP and as shown in the following chart. Fermata Inc. has noted the state deadlines for grant applications for Transportation Enhancements (TEA-21 grants) - approximately October 31, and the Regional Marketing Incentive Grants - approximately October 15, 2001. Fermata Inc. will assist the steering committee in every way possible to submit successful proposals for this project.

Fermata will submit draft reports for each of the work tasks outlined below for review and comment. These draft reports and any other materials developed for distribution to the public and the advisory committee will be submitted in an electronic format as well as in hard copy suitable for duplication. Fermata Inc. will address comments submitted by the Project Management Team in preparation of the final report.

The final report will include a 3-5 pp. executive summary of the project’s main findings and recommendations. One hundred copies of the final report will be submitted along with one hard copy suitable for duplication. In addition, one copy of all narrative/data products will be submitted in electronic format compatible with Microsoft Office. All finished products will be Web-Enabled. All geographic data (maps) will be provided in both paper and digital format. The digital data will be ESRI Arc/Info format with the following mapping parameters: Pennsylvania State Plane Coordinate System, Northern Zone; US Survey Foot map units; and North American Datum 1983. The format for all reports, maps, and graphics will be coordinated with the Project Management Team and their respective organizations and agencies.

Work Tasks

1. Review and assess the existing and proposed elk viewing opportunities in the context of the current and projected elk herd distribution, habitat improvement, and environmental education activities.

Fermata will assess the existing elk herd concentration areas near Benezette (Winslow Hill), the region along 555 (north of 555 from Benezette and Driftwood, as well as south of the roadway), and along the Susquahanna River. Given the 12-14% annual growth in the elk population, and habitat improvements that will likely shift elk populations, we will assess additional areas that appear to be likely candidates for elk repopulation. Finally, Fermata will consider the effectiveness of the environmental education programs presently being offered at Winslow Hill.

The purpose of the assessment of existing activities will be to determine the effectiveness of the programs, the existing social and biological carrying capacity, and the ability of existing programs to address the growth of both elk numbers and their watchers. Wildlife viewers are driven by a number of discrete motivators, and Fermata has developed a set of motivation drivers that have been applied in surveys around the United States. Fermata will consider how well existing programs address the motivations of a broad set of wildlife viewers that are attracted to this region by elk.

Fermata will recommend improvements to the existing system of sites and programs. Elk viewing in the region is not without its dilemmas, and Fermata will address such important issues as wildlife viewing ethics and structural improvements that may aid in limiting contact between elk and humans.

2. Review and assess the supply of other nature tourism assets in the elk range counties that could be promoted in conjunction with elk viewing opportunities.

Fermata Inc. will employ its proprietary site assessment protocol Applied Site Assessment Protocol (ASAP) that allows for quick, efficient, and accurate assessment of the nature tourism potential of any given site. This protocol, after choosing background values for the project, will provide a series of numerical ratings for each given site, which can then be compared with all other sites in the project. ASAP will be a critical tool for deciding how to choose observation sites, and to identify their disparate resources and viewing opportunities. The ASAP will measure both intrinsic and extrinsic factors, as well as identifying modifiers that may limit the ability to effectively promote a specific resource or opportunity. The ASAP will assess the following sets of values:

Applied Site Assessment Protocol (ASAP)

General Description

Geophysical

Ecological

Socio/Cultural

Historical

Intrinsic Values

Landscape

Scale (5)

• Integrity
• Aesthetics

 

Diversity

• Variety
• Richness

 

Specialty

• Distribution
• Rarity
• Uniqueness

 

Conspicuousness

• Detectability
• Visibility
• Approachability

 

Appeal

• Sensuality
• Behavioral



Scope

• Magnitude
• Proportionality

 

Dynamics

• Predictability
• Seasonality
• Episodic

 

Significance

Extrinsic Values

Social

Cultural

Historical

Recreational

Economic

Modifiers

Ecological

Physical

Social

Cultural

Health and Safety

Regulatory

Political

Economic

Fermata Inc. will inspect a broad range of sites that may offer collateral viewing opportunities. In addition to existing viewing sites, Fermata will consider all public lands within the region, and identify the unique wildlife viewing and general nature tourism opportunities each site possesses. Fermata will then recommend specific steps to be taken to allow these locations to become significant nature tourism destinations in their own right.

3. Review and analyze market and survey information to determine the size and key marketing characteristics of the potential market, estimate the potential to increase visitation to the region, and project the potential economic benefits for communities in the region from elk watching and other nature tourism activities.

Upon completion of the ASAP, Fermata Inc. will link specific resources to market segments. The product of this effort is an Opportunity Matrix, a grid that delineates nature tourism opportunities throughout the year. Fermata will use its proprietary data to develop an Opportunity Matrix for the region.

In addition, Fermata Inc. will utilize secondary data (such as the Pennsylvania Outdoor Travelers Profile and Activities Analysis, information from the Travel Industry Association and the Pennsylvania Office of Travel and Tourism, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, etc.) to broaden the scope of the analysis. Once completed, Fermata Inc. will recommend specific steps that may be taken for the region to advantage itself of the opportunities identified in the Opportunity Matrix.

4. Review and assess the availability of suitable visitor services to support elk watching and other nature tourism activities in the elk range, and recommend a development strategy to provide appropriate visitor services.
5. Review and assess existing and proposed transportation enhancements servicing elk viewing opportunity areas and recommend appropriate improvements.

As part of the ASAP, Fermata will identify the various social, cultural, economic, ecological, and infrastructure issues impacting the ability to develop a sustainable nature tourism strategy for the region. Included in the ASAP will be an assessment of food and lodging providers (number of rooms, occupancy levels, comparative rates, restaurant capacity), roadway capacity, roadway quality, signage, and the ability of the selected communities to provide additional amenities. Fermata Inc. will assess potential areas identified along Rte 555 from Weedville to Driftwood, and sections of Rte 120, the Bucktail State Park Scenic Drive, and selected locations on other secondary roads. Fermata surveys have identified the range of goods and services demanded by these travelers, and the assessment will comply with these data.

As part of the assessment, Fermata will consider a range of visitor center options. The assessment will incorporate the requirements outlined in Appendix 2 of the Request for Proposals and will include the analysis of options for a visitor center at the State Gamelands 311, Winslow Hill Elk Viewing Area.

Fermata Inc. will examine the economic feasibility of developing a modest, self-supporting visitor facility, with appropriate services to support elk and related wildlife watching and education activities, on State Game Land #311 in the Winslow Hill area near the town of Benezette, Pennsylvania. If feasible, the proposed visitors center would be developed in conjunction with the Porcupine Hollow mine lands reclamation, a multi-year project, which will affect about 275 acres in the Winslow Hill area. The reclamation activities, related landscaping, and road construction can be designed to support the operation of a visitors center.

Fermata Inc. will evaluate options for building and operating the visitors’ center on a self-supporting basis that covers all operational and maintenance costs. It is envisioned that special funding will be sought for construction, but neither PGC nor DCNR has funding to support facility operations. The evaluation will include:

• Review of the current site, and evaluation of the Porcupine Hollow mine reclamation project to determine opportunities and develop recommendations to integrate the design of the reclamation project with the design of the visitors facility to reduce costs, enhance visitor services, and improve the traffic pattern for wildlife watching and access to the visitors center;
• Identification of appropriate services and activities to be provided to the public, the amount of space each requires, a general cost estimate for construction, and an operating budget for the proposed visitor center;
• Examination of options intended to assure that the operation of the center is economically self-supporting. This should include projection of the potential operational funding available from various sources including:
• Partnership opportunities with other conservation, economic development, and tourism interests, such as the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation;
• Concession services, environmental education services, and/or product sales to help fund operational costs;
• Options for the DCNR, PGC, and other related state or federal field staff to operate from this facility.

The conservation and education programs and services component of this project will be developed in consultation with both PGC and DCNR.

Fermata will also address the need for interpretive signage, parking areas, overlooks, observation platforms, and other structural improvements that will enhance the viewing experiences.

The product of this task will be a prioritized list and descriptions of recommended signing, parking and roadside improvements, including preliminary cost estimates, for the various regional elk viewing opportunity areas. This list will be developed to provide the necessary information for an application for Transportation Enhancements (TEA-21) Funding in the fall 2001. These enhancements will be organized in the format that will be required by the TEA-21 application Fermata has successfully developed ISTEA and TEA-21 wildlife viewing projects in several states, and has extensive experience with this transportation enhancement program.

Tasks four and five, although discussed in a combined section in the Proposal, will be reported in separate documents for integration into the Plan.

6. Develop a marketing plan for elk watching and related nature tourism.

The final (and culminating) result of the efforts listed above will be the development of a strategic marketing plan for the region. The ASAP process will identify the key elk watching and nature tourism opportunities, and these opportunities will be linked directly to the various market segments that would be attracted.

A key to developing a successful nature tourism effort is the identification of a thematic element (a brand) that ties disparate sites into a single, cohesive marketing unit. Working with steering committee input, Fermata will develop this brand for the region, and develop both textual and graphical representations.

Since the Internet now allows providers to target specific market segments, Fermata will recommend an Internet strategy that will allow the region to communicate directly and effectively with the market segments that are most likely to visit the region.

No marketing effort will succeed without financial support, and Fermata will develop a pro forma budget that will reflect the resources required to implement the recommended marketing plan. Accompanying the pro forma will be recommendations for guideposts that will allow the region to track its success in marketing the region. Since outside capital will be required, Fermata will assist the region in identifying corporate sponsors that may support the marketing of the region. Fermata Inc. will identify no less that two specific national sponsors that would be appropriate for funding of the marketing effort.

Fermata will interweave a stewardship ethic in all of the products produced by this effort. Fermata Inc.’s consultant for this section of the project is recognized as a national leader in wildlife viewing and stewardship ethics. The concepts described in her recently published book, Providing Positive Wildlife Viewing Experiences, will be used to help drive her assessment and recommendations in this area.

The marketing plan will encompass a five-year period. Marketing efforts will include both elk viewing and other related wildlife viewing and nature tourism opportunities. It is expected that the resulting multi-year cooperative marketing effort will bring together local tourist promotion agencies, nature tourism outfitters, accommodations, local and national corporate sponsors and the state partners to responsibly promote year round visitation to the region for elk watching and related nature based-recreation.

Additionally, Fermata Inc. will develop a one-year marketing program that will be suitable for submission to the Department of Community and Economic Development as a regional marketing incentive grant in fall 2001.

While the marketing plan is a key component in this effort, Fermata Inc. understands that the finished strategic plan will include all elements of the tasks previously detailed in this agreement.

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