Wildlife tourism is a $19 billion industry across the five Gulf states and a report released earlier this week said the industry depends on restoring the coastal environment. Over 20 million people visit the Gulf states every year to enjoy our remarkable wildlife and provide $5.3 billion in annual tax revenue. More than 25,000 tourism-related businesses and 500,000 jobs are linked to wildlife tourism.

As funds from the BP/Deepwater Horizon settlement are directed to the states, make sure your local officials know you support conservation projects that enhance and protect our remarkable natural resources and coastal wildlife.

The report was produced by Datu Research LLC and the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) and is available for download by clicking here.