A new National Park Service report shows that more than 3.3 million recreational visitors to Grand Teton National Park in 2017 spent $590 million in communities near the park. That spending supported almost 8,700 jobs in the local area and had a cumulative benefit to the local economy of $744 million.
Grand Teton National Park Superintendent David Vela said, “It is a privilege to welcome visitors from around the world to share the spectacular natural and cultural resources of this iconic national park. National park tourism is a significant driver in the national economy, returning $10 for every $1 invested in the National Park Service, and it is a big factor in our local economy as well.”
The peer-reviewed visitor spending analysis was conducted by economists Catherine Cullinane Thomas of the U.S. Geological Survey and Lynne Koontz of the National Park Service. The report shows $18.2 billion of direct spending by more than 330 million park visitors in communities within 60 miles of a national park. This spending supported 306,000 jobs nationally; 255,900 of those jobs are found in these gateway communities. The cumulative benefit to the U.S. economy was $35.8 billion.
The lodging sector received the highest direct contributions with $5.5 billion in economic output to local gateway economies and 49,000 jobs. The restaurants sector received the next greatest direct contributions with $3.7 billion in economic output to local gateway economies and 60,500 jobs.
According to the 2017 report, most park visitor spending was for lodging/camping (32.9 percent) followed by food and beverages (27.5 percent), gas and oil (12.1 percent), souvenirs and other expenses (10.1 percent), admissions and fees (10.0 percent), and local transportation (7.5 percent).
Report authors also produce an interactive tool that enables users to explore visitor spending, jobs, labor income, value added, and output effects by sector for national, state, and local economies. Users can also view year-by-year trend data. The interactive tool and report are available at the NPS Social Science Program webpage: https://www.nps.gov/subjects/socialscience/vse.htm
There are several sites affiliated or managed by the National Park Service in Wyoming, including Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area; Devils Tower National Monument; Fort Laramie National Historic Site; Fossil Butte National Monument; Grand Teton National Park; John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Memorial Parkway; and Yellowstone National Park. Visit www.nps.gov/Wyoming to learn more about national parks in Wyoming and how the National Park Service works with local communities to help preserve local history, conserve the environment, and provide outdoor recreation.
Jeff
HikinginGlacier.com
TetonHikingTrails.com
RockyMountainHikingTrails.com
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Friday, April 27, 2018
Wednesday, April 25, 2018
Two-Week Closure Scheduled for Moose-Wilson Road
The northern section of Moose-Wilson Road will be closed for two weeks beginning Monday, April 30th to accommodate road drainage improvements. The road segment between Murie Ranch Road and the Death Canyon Road will be closed to all users, including cyclists, through May 13th.
During the closure, a contractor will replace drainage culverts to prevent future flooding on the road in the area south of Sawmill Ponds. This section of road experienced significant groundwater flooding for much of last summer, and was limited to one-lane of alternating traffic for a few weeks. Crews will also install roadside barriers to minimize future damage to roadside vegetation.
Access to Granite Canyon Trailhead, Laurance S. Rockefeller Preserve, and Death Canyon Road will be possible from the south during the closure. This access will be via the gravel portion of the Moose-Wilson Road, which typically does not open until mid-May, but will open on April 30 this year due to the closure on the northern section. The schedule is subject to change due to weather conditions and other factors.
Jeff
HikinginGlacier.com
TetonHikingTrails.com
RockyMountainHikingTrails.com
HikingintheSmokys.com
During the closure, a contractor will replace drainage culverts to prevent future flooding on the road in the area south of Sawmill Ponds. This section of road experienced significant groundwater flooding for much of last summer, and was limited to one-lane of alternating traffic for a few weeks. Crews will also install roadside barriers to minimize future damage to roadside vegetation.
Access to Granite Canyon Trailhead, Laurance S. Rockefeller Preserve, and Death Canyon Road will be possible from the south during the closure. This access will be via the gravel portion of the Moose-Wilson Road, which typically does not open until mid-May, but will open on April 30 this year due to the closure on the northern section. The schedule is subject to change due to weather conditions and other factors.
Jeff
HikinginGlacier.com
TetonHikingTrails.com
RockyMountainHikingTrails.com
HikingintheSmokys.com
Monday, April 23, 2018
Glacier National Park Changes Entrance Fees
Glacier National Park will modify its entrance fees beginning June 1, 2018 to provide additional funding for infrastructure and maintenance needs that enhance the visitor experience. Effective June 1, the park entrance fee will be $35 per vehicle or $30 per motorcycle. An annual park pass will cost $70.
The NPS last October proposed a plan to adopt seasonal pricing at Glacier National Park and 16 other national parks to raise additional revenue for infrastructure and maintenance needs. The fee structure announced today addresses many concerns and ideas provided by the public on how best to address fee revenue for parks.
Revenue from entrance fees remains in the National Park Service and helps ensure a quality experience for all who visit. In Glacier National Park, 80 percent of entrance fees stay in the park and are devoted to spending that supports the visitor. The park shares the other 20 percent of entry fee income with other national parks for their projects.
“The fees our visitors pay are essential to tackle deferred maintenance projects like trail and campground work, as well as other visitor services like ranger programs and our park maps and brochures,” said Park Superintendent Jeff Mow.
The additional revenue from entrance fees at Glacier National Park will improve trails such as those around Granite Park and Running Eagle Falls, improve restroom access including accessible restrooms and winter restrooms, and expand the park’s volunteer program.
National parks have experienced record breaking visitation, with more than 1.5 billion visitors in the last five years. Throughout the country, the combination of aging infrastructure and increased visitation affects park roads, bridges, buildings, campgrounds, water systems, bathrooms, and other facilities. Maintenance deferred on these facilities amounts to an $11.6 billion nationwide backlog.
Entrance fees collected by the National Park Service totaled $199.9 million in Fiscal Year 2016. The NPS estimates that once fully implemented, the new fee structure will increase annual entrance fee revenue by about $60 million.
Glacier National Park has had an entrance fee since 1914. The current rate of $30 per vehicle or $25 per motorcycle has been in effect since 2016. The park is one of 117 in the National Park System that charges an entrance fee. The remaining 300 sites are free to enter.
The price of the annual America the Beautiful National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Annual Pass and Lifetime Senior Pass will remain $80.
The National Park Service has a standardized entrance fee structure, composed of four groups based on park size and type. Glacier National Park is one of the park sites in group 4.
Jeff
HikinginGlacier.com
TetonHikingTrails.com
RockyMountainHikingTrails.com
HikingintheSmokys.com
The NPS last October proposed a plan to adopt seasonal pricing at Glacier National Park and 16 other national parks to raise additional revenue for infrastructure and maintenance needs. The fee structure announced today addresses many concerns and ideas provided by the public on how best to address fee revenue for parks.
Revenue from entrance fees remains in the National Park Service and helps ensure a quality experience for all who visit. In Glacier National Park, 80 percent of entrance fees stay in the park and are devoted to spending that supports the visitor. The park shares the other 20 percent of entry fee income with other national parks for their projects.
“The fees our visitors pay are essential to tackle deferred maintenance projects like trail and campground work, as well as other visitor services like ranger programs and our park maps and brochures,” said Park Superintendent Jeff Mow.
The additional revenue from entrance fees at Glacier National Park will improve trails such as those around Granite Park and Running Eagle Falls, improve restroom access including accessible restrooms and winter restrooms, and expand the park’s volunteer program.
National parks have experienced record breaking visitation, with more than 1.5 billion visitors in the last five years. Throughout the country, the combination of aging infrastructure and increased visitation affects park roads, bridges, buildings, campgrounds, water systems, bathrooms, and other facilities. Maintenance deferred on these facilities amounts to an $11.6 billion nationwide backlog.
Entrance fees collected by the National Park Service totaled $199.9 million in Fiscal Year 2016. The NPS estimates that once fully implemented, the new fee structure will increase annual entrance fee revenue by about $60 million.
Glacier National Park has had an entrance fee since 1914. The current rate of $30 per vehicle or $25 per motorcycle has been in effect since 2016. The park is one of 117 in the National Park System that charges an entrance fee. The remaining 300 sites are free to enter.
The price of the annual America the Beautiful National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Annual Pass and Lifetime Senior Pass will remain $80.
The National Park Service has a standardized entrance fee structure, composed of four groups based on park size and type. Glacier National Park is one of the park sites in group 4.
Jeff
HikinginGlacier.com
TetonHikingTrails.com
RockyMountainHikingTrails.com
HikingintheSmokys.com
Saturday, April 21, 2018
Montana State Trails Advisory Committee to Meet in Helena - April 25 & 26
Montana State Parks (stateparks.mt.gov) announced this past Wednesday that the citizen Montana State Trails Advisory committee (STAC) will meet on Wednesday, April 25 from 9 am to 5 pm and Thursday, April 26 from 8 am to 4 pm at the Montana Fish Wildlife & Parks Commission Rooms located at 1420 E. 6th Avenue, in Helena.
The committee will advise staff on a number of trail issues, including 2018 Recreational Trails Program project proposals and miscellaneous trail-related topics. State Trails Advisory Committee members represent both motorized and non-motorized trail user groups and provide advice and assistance for the Recreational Trails Program.
The meeting is open to the public. For more information contact Samantha Erpenbach at (406) 444-5898 or samantha.erpenbach@mt.gov.
The Montana Recreational Trails Program provides grant funding to support trail construction, trail maintenance and grooming efforts, as well as trail-related education so enthusiasts can enjoy trails throughout Montana.
Jeff
HikinginGlacier.com
TetonHikingTrails.com
RockyMountainHikingTrails.com
HikingintheSmokys.com
The committee will advise staff on a number of trail issues, including 2018 Recreational Trails Program project proposals and miscellaneous trail-related topics. State Trails Advisory Committee members represent both motorized and non-motorized trail user groups and provide advice and assistance for the Recreational Trails Program.
The meeting is open to the public. For more information contact Samantha Erpenbach at (406) 444-5898 or samantha.erpenbach@mt.gov.
The Montana Recreational Trails Program provides grant funding to support trail construction, trail maintenance and grooming efforts, as well as trail-related education so enthusiasts can enjoy trails throughout Montana.
Jeff
HikinginGlacier.com
TetonHikingTrails.com
RockyMountainHikingTrails.com
HikingintheSmokys.com
Wednesday, April 18, 2018
Sperry Chalet Next 100 Years Environmental Assessment Available for Public Comment
Glacier National Park’s Sperry Chalet, The Next Hundred Years environmental assessment (EA) and associated documents are available online at http://parkplanning.nps.gov/SperryChalet2018. The EA will be available for public review for 20 days; comments are due on May 7, 2018.
A public meeting to provide comment on the environmental assessment and ask questions about the project will be held on Monday, April 23 from 5:30 pm-7:30 pm at Flathead Valley Community College in the Arts and Technology Building, Room 139 in Kalispell, MT.
The National Park Service (NPS) is proposing to rebuild the Sperry Chalet Dormitory Building that was badly burned in the Sprague Fire in 2017. Specifically, the NPS is proposing to rebuild the Sperry Chalet Dormitory at its original site within the original walls. The design would restore the chalet dormitory reflecting its period of significance (1914-1949). Some critical updates would be included including current building codes where applicable, and improvements to life safety features including seismic bracing and fire resistant materials. The visitor experience would be very similar to what it has been for decades by using as much of the remaining historic fabric, and replicating historic finishes where practicable. Construction would be completed in two phases, proposed for the summers of 2018 and 2019. Cost considerations and other unforeseen events or conditions could affect the construction schedule.
Public scoping was conducted from February 28, 2018 to April 2, 2018 to provide for early public participation, assist with identifying important features of the Sperry Chalet experience, and identify resource issues and concerns. The park received 403 comments; suggestions and concerns raised during scoping were considered in the EA.
Comments can be submitted online at: http://parkplanning.nps.gov/SperryChalet2018, or sent by mail to Superintendent, Glacier National Park, Attn: Sperry Chalet, P.O. Box 128, West Glacier, Montana 59936. The EA may also be requested by calling 406-888-7898.
Jeff
HikinginGlacier.com
TetonHikingTrails.com
RockyMountainHikingTrails.com
HikingintheSmokys.com
The National Park Service (NPS) is proposing to rebuild the Sperry Chalet Dormitory Building that was badly burned in the Sprague Fire in 2017. Specifically, the NPS is proposing to rebuild the Sperry Chalet Dormitory at its original site within the original walls. The design would restore the chalet dormitory reflecting its period of significance (1914-1949). Some critical updates would be included including current building codes where applicable, and improvements to life safety features including seismic bracing and fire resistant materials. The visitor experience would be very similar to what it has been for decades by using as much of the remaining historic fabric, and replicating historic finishes where practicable. Construction would be completed in two phases, proposed for the summers of 2018 and 2019. Cost considerations and other unforeseen events or conditions could affect the construction schedule.
Public scoping was conducted from February 28, 2018 to April 2, 2018 to provide for early public participation, assist with identifying important features of the Sperry Chalet experience, and identify resource issues and concerns. The park received 403 comments; suggestions and concerns raised during scoping were considered in the EA.
Comments can be submitted online at: http://parkplanning.nps.gov/SperryChalet2018, or sent by mail to Superintendent, Glacier National Park, Attn: Sperry Chalet, P.O. Box 128, West Glacier, Montana 59936. The EA may also be requested by calling 406-888-7898.
Jeff
HikinginGlacier.com
TetonHikingTrails.com
RockyMountainHikingTrails.com
HikingintheSmokys.com
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