Pennsylvania hopes tourists flock to view elk herd

Marcellus Shale drilling isn't the only strategy rural north-central Pennsylvania is turning to for new revenue. The area hopes to become the go-to destination for elk viewing. "Years in the works, the Elk Country Visitors Center was unveiled this fall in hopes of turning the commonwealth into a prime destination to view the majestic animal," Genaro C. Armas of The Associated Press reports. Gov. Ed Rendell, borrowing a phrase from the movie "Field of Dreams," said, "We built it, and they will come." Rendell and business leaders are optimistic the attraction will help dollars flow into a rural area that has long struggled financially, Armas writes. Pennsylvania's elk herd is estimated at about 725.

Some in the area worry Marcellus Shale drilling and the elk herd might conflict with each other. "While Marcellus drilling isn't pervasive in Elk County, state conservation and natural resources secretary John Quigley promised that Pennsylvania would keep close watch on how the explosive growth of the natural gas industry might affect the tourism investment," Armas writes. The national elk population is at 1.03 million, up 44 percent from the mid 1980s.

Pennsylvania isn't the only state hoping to market itself as elk country. A six-county coalition in Eastern Kentucky has branded itself the Elk Country Corridor in hopes of attracting tourists to the region. (Read more)