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2005

Tourism group sues over sled ban

Technology to Grow Wyoming Tourism
Dennis E. Curran

Wyoming¡¯s new tourism director wants to make visiting Wyoming a more interactive experience for travelers.

That means making greater use of the Internet in marketing Wyoming but also increasing interactive experiences for visitors once they get here, according to Diane Shober, who took the state¡¯s top tourism promotion job this past summer.

The Wyoming Travel and Tourism Division will seek additional budget appropriations from the Legislature next year to build the technological infrastructure that will help Wyoming and its communities improve their ability to attract visitors and to take better care of them once they are here.

¡°People are using the Internet more and more and are making more last minute decisions about their travel,¡± Shober told tourism industry leaders at the Fall Hospitality & Tourism Summit. ¡°I see that as an opportunity for us to capitalize on and take advantage of that traveling market.¡±

She noted that nearly half the people traveling to Wyoming are booking their trips on the Internet compared to less than a third nationally, and she predicted that new infrastructure would help Wyoming hit even more niche market travelers.

The Tourism Division isn¡¯t just looking at expanding its Web site but at developing a ¡°really rompin¡¯ stompin¡¯, outrageous interactive medium,¡± she added. It is looking at innovations, such as embedded video and on-line mapping and interactive travel kiosks, to be more interactive with visitors, both before they come and after they are here. ¡°We want to expand the interactive to allow visitors to see what that experience is,¡± she explained.

The Tourism Division began looking at technology infrastructure after Gov. Dave Freudenthal asked what the staff would recommend if given an opportunity to invest some of the state¡¯s one-time money from a spike in natural gas prices and tax revenue. Freudenthal has not yet recommended his budget, but Shober said she believes her agency¡¯s proposal ¡°has a lot of merit and value for investment.¡±

Beyond that, Wyoming¡¯s tourism promoters are looking at making a more ¡°tourism-friendly Wyoming¡± through greater use of interpretive signs, product development and tourism marketing education.

¡°My fear is our visitors are missing out on these great opportunities, because there¡¯s not a sign saying ¡®Nearing Pilot Butte Wild Horse Area¡¯ or driving to Shoshoni and seeing ¡®Nearing Hell¡¯s Half Acre,¡± Shober said at the fall conference.

At the Hospitality Summit, she challenged industry leaders to ¡°look beyond what you know and picture how somebody from the outside would see this. What would be a fresh approach to what¡¯s right here in our backyard?¡±

She also emphasized the value of continually investing in travel industry employees, so that they will be really strong ¡°Wyoming Tourism Ambassadors.¡± She conceded that it might take time to make greater use of technology and the Internet, but she stressed it is important.

¡°We¡¯re building the Cadillac, we may only get an Oldsmobile at the end of the day, but we are going to submit a budget that would cover everything we feel could be funded through a one-time investment,¡± she emphasized. ¡°We want to be ready if we get $10 or $1 million or $10 million.¡±

2004 Advertising Campaign Announced at Gillette Meeting
Dennis E. Curran

If you're perusing the pages of your favorite national magazine this spring, chances are you'll see a colorful advertisement featuring our state, Wyoming, or a cooperative ad promoting Montana, South Dakota and Wyoming.

>From Atlantic Monthly and Audubon to USA Weekend and Wild West, Wyoming's attractions will be touted across the country in an effort to promote Wyoming tourism this year. Chances are you'll find a Wyoming ad in one of the magazines you receive. The Wyoming Travel and Tourism Division is broadening its print media advertising campaign this spring through its marketing contractor, Barnhart/CMI. The magazine ad campaign is just part of a larger $1.2 million spring and summer print campaign that includes coop ads with neighboring states and special Sunday newspaper supplements. The magazine component is still being tweaked to mesh with coop ads, according to Sheila Kenney, media director of Barnhart/CMI. Most of the ads are to run in March, April and May.

Among the general magazines being targeted are Atlantic Monthly, Audubon, Smithsonian, and the New Yorker.

The ad campaign also will include pieces in regional issues of Time, Newsweek, Sports Illustrated and U.S. News, as well as various business publications including Business Week, Forbes, Fortune and Money.

But much of the ad campaign will target specialty niche publications such as Cooking Light, American Heritage, Discover, Wild West, Backpacker, and Outside magazines. But wait, there's more. Other magazines could include such magazines as Colorado Avid Golfer, American Motorcyclist, and Rider.

Families won't be left out, with ads in Family Fun, Travel & Leisure Family and Reader's Digest Family Demo. Neither will women, with publications like Country Living and Sunset, or seniors with ads in AARP's magazine, Travel 50 & Beyond and Reader's Digest Mature Demo.

And of course the ad campaign will appear in many of the traditional travel magazines, such as AAA, Coast to Coast, Highways, Motor Home and National Geo Traveler.
Sunday newspaper supplements such as USA Weekend and American Profile also will carry Wyoming ads, and the division also is planning eight-page Sunday newspaper supplements outside of the magazine ad campaign.

Governor Freudenthal Asks the Travel Industry to
Help Attract more Visitors

GILLETTE ¨C Gov. Dave Freudenthal says state government and Wyoming¡¯s hospitality industry have long had ¡°an incredible partnership¡± in promoting travel and tourism in the state. Now he says it¡¯s time to add the federal government as a third partner. ¡°Whether we like it or not, our partnership with the federal government cannot be ignored,¡¯ the governor told hospitality leaders this fall. ¡°It¡¯s one of base points from which we¡¯re going to build a successful house of tourism in Wyoming.¡±

Speaking at the Fall Wyoming Hospitality & Tourism Summit in Gillette, Freudenthal said the federal government must be a player in the tourism partnership because it manages, controls or has a hand in most all of the state¡¯s top tourism attractions and destinations.

¡°We need to continue to push the federal government to invest in those sites in Wyoming ¡­ in a way that makes sure that people can move in and out of them and have access to those sites with some degree of regularity and predictability,¡± he said. ¡°Is it always going to be easy? No. But the partnership is always there, and it¡¯s a remarkable opportunity,¡± he added.

As for state government, Freudenthal pledged to continue to promote the travel industry but said the private sector must be integrally involved as well.

¡°The state can spend money getting information out to make people want to come to Wyoming, but it¡¯s only the activities that you do that are going to make them want to stay in Wyoming and want to come back,¡± Freudenthal said ¡°We can bait the hook, we can draw ¡®em in ¡­ but once they get here, their real definition of their experience in Wyoming is going to be their interaction with people like you,¡± he said.

The governor urged private tourism businesses to invest not only in their facilities but also their employees, to ensure that employees contribute to a favorable Wyoming experience for visitors and help them find additional things to do during their stays. ¡°The role of the government is to make sure you have a climate in which you can prosper,¡± he added. ¡°We can¡¯t guarantee you a profitable year. You have to do that, through investment in your employees.¡±

He noted with pleasure the industry¡¯s 4 percent increase in average pay between 2001 and 2002. ¡°There aren¡¯t that many sectors of the Wyoming economy in which the people are actually making more this year than last year,¡± he said.

Freudenthal said he is encouraged by the growth in Wyoming tourism over the past five years, despite the ¡°ups and downs of the national economy,¡± and looks forward to even more growth in the future, particularly in niche travelers seeking that ¡°out-of-the-ordinary travel experience.¡±

He also praised the state¡¯s new Tourism Board, established earlier this year to oversee the Travel and Tourism Division in the Wyoming Business Council. ¡°I am incredibly encouraged by the work being done by the Tourism Board,¡± he said. ¡°I don¡¯t intend to micromanage that board, I don¡¯t intend to micromanage tourism, but I do intend to hold them accountable for the outcome. For them to be successful, you have to be willing to be their partners.¡±

The governor concluded that Wyoming¡¯s tourism industry faces ¡°an incredible opportunity¡± because of ¡°an immense population bubble moving through this country¡± with affluence and a willingness to travel.

¡°Where they move depends on us,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯m prepared to do our part from the state, I know many of you prepared to do your part as partners, and I intend to make sure the federal government does its part also.¡±

Interview with, Diane Shober,
Wyoming¡¯s new Director of Travel and Tourism

Tourism Talk met with Diane Shober to get some feedback on her impressions of Wyoming tourism after her first two months. Diane has returned to Wyoming after ten years in Chicago where she managed a local arts organization and then worked for the Chicago Convention and Visitors Bureau.

Tourism Talk: Now that you are a ¡°veteran¡± of two months as the Tourism Director, what impressions stand out, especially from the time you left Wyoming ten years ago?

Shober: Wyoming has developed an impressive amount of products over the last few years¡ªI mean lodging facilities, restaurants, events and attractions such as the National Historic Trails Center. Also, there is great enthusiasm from local communities to the Governor of Wyoming¡ªvery strong support for tourism promotion and development.

Tourism Talk: How do you view Wyoming tourism changing over next decade?

Shober: I wish I could completely forecast the future but our first shot is to be completely up to date on our use of technology. We also need to define Wyoming as a complete destination, look at packaging, try to expand markets for niches¡ªhiking, mountain biking, etc. We also need to learn how to be responsive to a changing industry as the population ages. We need to look at non-traditional ways to promote Wyoming. We are fortunate that Wyoming uniquely has an excellent public relations and public information program besides its traditional advertising program. We also need to constantly look at new markets.

Tourism Talk: What is the most pressing need for Wyoming tourism?

Shober: Keeping up with technology is the most important aspect---the industry needs to understand that having a web site and an e-mail is as important as having a telephone.

The effects of technology are tremendous; we can reach so many more people. Our challenge is to stay abreast of that and work with Wyoming businesses to make sure they are up to date.

As a state agency, we also need to do an assessment as to where the state stacks up competitively with other states and see who is not coming to Wyoming and why.

Tourism Talk: How can the tourism industry further adapt to 9/11 and the war in Iraq?

Shober: Wyoming is well positioned in the current environment. There is a desire to go to more peaceful areas---Wyoming is an affordable and family friendly destination. We need to take advantage of current economic conditions.

Tourism Talk: What did you learn from your years in Chicago?

Shober: I learned that there are many levels of marketing---I worked with a fully integrated marketing agency that disseminated information very widely. In fact, we will have more opportunities to tie into the Chicago marketing. For example, I already had a call about including a Taste of Wyoming in the 4th of July Taste of Chicago.

Tourism Talk: How can the industry work better together?

Shober: In order to leverage our greatest potential, businesses at local level need to work closely with chambers or convention and visitors bureaus so there is a comprehensive and clear message from each area. All local chambers and visitors councils should look broadly at their community and look at partnering with nearby communities.

Tourism Talk: Any closing thoughts?

Shober: Two months into the position, I am impressed with what has been accomplished. I see great opportunities for maintaining Wyoming as the premier Rocky Mountain visitor destination.

¡°We¡¯ve had a busy six months.¡±

With that massive understatement, Wyoming Tourism Board Chair Paul Smith, owner/president, Best Western Hitching Post Inn, Cheyenne, outlined the activities of the nine-member policy board appointed by Governor Dave Freudenthal after the 2003 Legislature created the board with a footnote to the current state budget.

Recruiting and hiring a director for the Division of Tourism, Wyoming Business Council; consolidating the tourism staff back at the South I-25 visitor center/staff offices; preparation of the next biennium budget and investigating the future status of the division highlighted the first half year of the Tourism Board¡¯s existence, Smith noted.

In addition to Smith, Governor Freudenthal appointed the following tourism industry representatives to the board, which will function until June 30, 2004: Dave Hanks, executive director, Rock Springs Chamber of Commerce; Clay James, president/general manager, Grand Teton Lodge Company, Moran; Clay Miller, owner, Paradise Guest Ranch, Buffalo; Gene Bryan, executive director, Cody Country Chamber of Commerce, Cody.

Matt Driskill, owner, Devils Tower KOA, Devils Tower; Pat Sweeney, managing partner,
Parkway Plaza Hotel, Casper; Trudy McCraken, owner/president, Holiday Inn and Howard Johnson/Fosters, Laramie and Dave Rader, managing partner, The Lodge at Rawlins, Rawlins, who replaced Pam Avery, Casper, when she accepted a new position with her company to Virginia.

¡°Right out of the box, our first priority was to get a director for the division recruited and hired,¡± Smith said. ¡°We are absolutely thrilled with the selection of Diane Shober to fill that responsibility. The timing was right. She wanted to return to the region, and we needed a dynamic, experienced leader.¡±

Smith thanked Tucker Fagan, CEO, Pete Reiss, Chief of Support Services, Wyoming Business Council and Anita Withers, Travel Development Specialist for the Division of Tourism, for their guidance and support during the recruiting process. ¡°They were invaluable,¡± he added.

Shober, a Gillette native, had worked in Chicago for the past nine years, first as managing director for a Chicago-based dance company and later with the Chicago Convention and Visitors Bureau. Her Wyoming tourism experience included stints as sales director for Tower West Motel in Gillettee and as marketing director for Cam-Plex. She was the team leader in Gillette¡¯s successful recruitment of the National High School Finals Rodeo.

¡°Diane, has proved to be a quick study. She already has a firm grasp of the staff situation, the current and proposed budget, the contracts and the partnerships, and she and the staff are busy preparing the marketing program for the 2004 season,¡± the board chair noted.

Smith outlined other Tourism Board accomplishments in the first six months of its existence:

• Directed that the Division staff be consolidated at the Frank Norris, Jr. Travel Center on south I-25 in Cheyenne. The staff had been divided between that facility and the Business Council¡¯s office in downtown Cheyenne.
• Directed that Diane continue to participate in the weekly Wyoming Business Council (WBC) senior management meetings and to stress continued cooperation/communication with the other WBC divisions and with the regional offices. Smith noted that Diane has been invited by Governor Freudenthal to participate in cabinet meetings.
• Appointed a sub-committee to investigate the future of the Division. Options include recommending that the Division of Tourism be separated from the WBC into a cabinet level agency; stay with the WBC with a separate, permanent Tourism Board;
  stay with the WBC under the direction of the Business Council. The sub-committee recommended that priority be given to creating an awareness for the need for a permanent Tourism Board and that the Legislature and Governor Freudenthal deal with the status of the agency during the 2005 General Session of the Wyoming Legislature. The sub-committee is also investigating options for appointment districts for the board should it be continued.
• The board directed Diane to schedule visits as soon as possible in all regions of the state to familiarize herself with the industry and with the resources available to the division.
• The proposed 2004-2006 biennium budget was reviewed and approved and sent forward to the Business Council and subsequently to the Budget Office.
• The board elected Smith as chair and Bryan as co-chair.
• The Board encouraged Diane to re-establish her position as the spokesperson for the Wyoming travel industry.
• Emphasized that it is the board and staff¡¯s combined responsibility to re-build the cooperation and communication within the Wyoming travel industry, with emphasis on lodging tax boards, concessionaires and hospitality industry associations.

¡°Wyoming has a tourism program that is the envy of the rest of the states, and we want to continue and enhance that status. With an industry board providing policy guidance and directing the development of marketing programs and spending and with the best staff of the 50 states, we are confident that Wyoming will remain a premiere destination and that the Division will remain preeminent within the industry¡± Smith noted.

Daily fire updates Calm Public

Careful planning has averted hysteria in the press as fires started across Wyoming this summer. Wyoming¡¯s Crisis Communication plan, that includes co-ordination with federal agencies, was once again utilized this past summer.

Dave Troyanek, Communications Specialist at the Division of Tourism issued a daily report not only to the press but to anyone in the industry interested in receiving it. The report was posted daily on www.wyomingtourism.org .Troyanek keeps his cell phone at his side 24/7 all summer and covered regular updates from the National Park Service and the National Interagency Fire Center.

The federal government agencies have also done an excellent job at providing quick, accurate information that Troyanek can use to compile regular reports. When localized fires flared up, local chambers of commerce also helped disseminate information. For example, when the East Gate into Yellowstone was closed due to fires, the Park County Visitors Council and the Cody Chamber of Commerce kept emphasizing that there were alternative routes into Yellowstone from that direction. Those constant news releases, in coordination with the Division of Tourism¡¯s releases, helped prevent a total reversal of visitor traffic from northern Wyoming.

One of the first rules of crisis communication is honesty and accuracy. When there is a fire the news must go out. But a constant, daily reliable stream of news reports gives the press a sense of confidence that they know what is going on. Then, the reports are put in perspective and are not on the front page every day. Early this summer, before the reports began, one local Wyoming newspaper had a front page headline stating ¡°Wyoming Wildfires Lay Waste.¡± Once the regular reports started, there was a daily update back on page 3 or 4.

Thanks to everyone involved in doing a good job providing accurate information on fires this summer.

Making your community exciting to visitors

History is in the eye of the beholder and, for that reason, a Texas sociologist specializing in tourism and economic development suggested Wyoming communities should market ¡°cultural tourism.¡±

Peter Tarlow said history must be relevant to the visitor.

"When you are selling history, remember that local history has limited use. History is like a baby," he said, "yours is most important, but only to you. Your history is not their history. It's not emotional to them because they have a different perspective. So sell the history of America and how that connects to your local situation.¡±

Tarlow said communities should understand the perspectives of the travelers they want to attract, and then go after that niche.

Because Wyoming is a rural oriented state, Tarlow said people visiting here could have "a really terrific rural experience.

But he also said most communities set themselves up for failure when trying to retain family vacationers in their area for more than just a pass through look.

"The No. 1 reason people leave an area is the lack of family oriented activities or information," he said.

To illustrate, Tarlow said the two most important days for tourism, especially when a community markets themselves to a regional traveler, are Saturdays and Sundays, with Fridays and Mondays the second best set of days.

"But when are the chamber of commerce offices and information centers closed here?" he asked. "Only when they, the traveler, need you, and you aren't there."

Because of a Monday through Friday, 8 to 5 mind-set in most communities, Tarlow said the burden of providing information to travelers arriving in towns in late afternoons or on weekends falls on gasoline station and convenience store employees, many of whom are teens.

"What do they say when asked what there is to do? Nothing. That's the most common answer. And because local residents are considered by travelers to be local experts, they believe the answer and out of town they go," Tarlow said.

Tarlow suggested local communities develop a tourism certification program for such front line businesses and employees.

"If you can keep a traveler in your town four extra hours, you've just sold a lunch and, if it¡¯s in the afternoon, perhaps a dinner, a hotel room and a breakfast. At least you can get a lunch," he said.

To be successful, he said first line workers should be able to name one tourist attraction to see and visit during the day, one thing to do in the evening, what a traveler may do if the weather is not good, provide directions to one hotel in town and be able to give the name of one restaurant and provide directions to that eatery.

He suggested an incentive program could reward businesses that participate in such a certification campaign, such as highlighting a list of such businesses in the local newspaper and/or on a local radio program. Tarlow said such an effort could be considered economic and cultural development because it helps the economy of the community.

Changing Family Tourism
Peter Mason, Meredith Travel Marketing

One of the country¡¯s leading experts in travel marketing research said the family vacation is in no danger of disappearing. Peter Mason, director of Meredith Travel Marketing, said an estimated 86.3 million American adults took a family vacation in 2002, about the same number as in 2001. He said the trend should remain stable.

To ensure business in the future, however, Mason said tourism businesses should not forget who their customers are and he suggested businesses should consider providing incentives or bonuses to those travelers to ensure continued loyalty.

Mason also said the state of the economy has resulted in a change in tourist spending habits.

¡°In the wake of 9-11 and fears of more terrorism because of the Iraqi war, the industry must rebuild trust in travel,¡± Mason said. He noted security concerns would be a major consideration when families make their travel plans, but it won¡¯t be the only consideration. ¡°Travelers are still looking for value, so you must emphasize that. Stop all fees and surcharges or disguise them, provide a high level of service and keep in touch with frequent guests.¡±

Mason said the already competitive travel market ¡°will become even more competitive, and marketing plans which worked last year will not work this year.¡±

Mason said nearly all travelers want to save money on trips, regardless of their household incomes. As a result, he said travel research conducted in 2002 revealed that most family vacationers economized on their most recent trip with a majority, or 62 percent, purchasing food at grocery stores rather than eating out. Mason also said more than one-third of all family travelers, or 40 percent, attended free attractions including museums, events and festivals. Additionally, 39 percent stayed at hotels offering free breakfasts.

¡°The American middle class is not wealthy, they are just getting by, so they are looking for value,¡± Mason said.

According to Meredith¡¯s research, Mason said the average American worker spends 20 percent more time at work than 30 years ago and has 32 percent less free time. Mason said 38 percent of those workers would trade salary for more vacation time.

¡°That¡¯s how important a family vacation is,¡± he said. ¡°Ninety-five percent of all workers said a family vacation is vital to their well being.¡±

In a major change from previous studies, Mason said more than half, or 58 percent of family vacationers, indicated they decided within a month or less on where they would travel.

¡°That means it is imperative for you to get information to them as fast as you can, and ideally through the Internet,¡± he said. Mason noted the Internet is now the top source of travel information for a vacation planner, with six of 10 families citing the World Wide Web as their primary source of information.

State Tourism Division Update

The Wyoming State Division of Tourism staff outlined its program and answered questions at the recent Governors Hospitality and Tourism Rendezvous. The current fiscal year budget for the Wyoming Division of Travel and Tourism is $5.4 million.

The division's advertising representative, Mike Lane of the Barnhardt-CMI Agency of Cheyenne, said Wyoming tourism advertising appeared in 65 publications and in dozens of regional radio and television markets during the past year.

"Our print ads were in publications with a combined circulation of nearly 80 million people," Lane said. "Additionally, over 3,000 publicity articles about Wyoming appeared in newspapers and magazines with a circulation of over 522 million readers."

Citing the value of such free publicity, he said if the division had to purchase the space the state received through news and feature story placement, he said the price tag would be a whopping $46 million. Again this year, Lane said the state would sponsor the radio broadcasts of the Colorado Rockies professional baseball club in Denver on a regional network of 59 radio stations. He said the campaign drew good response last year, especially from the Colorado Front Range.

Lane also indicated a conversion study conducted on the state's advertising which appeared in the Meredith Family of publications, including such publications as Better Homes and Gardens and Ladies Home Journal, was 35 percent.

"That's unheard of; the national average is 15 percent," Lane said. He said the study determined how many people who responded to the state's advertising in those publications actually became a state visitor.

In other division reports:
European Marketing Program Manager Rita Green Bellardo said the state attracted about 290,000 international visitors during the 2002 travel season. "That's a significant number because international visitors typically have vacations lasting between 20 and 40 days, they are repeat visitors and they spend more than domestic travelers," she said.

Americas/Asia Marketing Program Manager John Logan said the state expanded its trade show appearances during 2002 to a dozen different cities, up from just a several shows in previous years.

Customer Service Manager Sherry Hughes said general inquiries to the state tourism office were down 15 percent last year, but increased this year. She said the state is about to publish a new guide to Wyoming golf courses and a new campground map is in the works.

She reported over 450,000 travelers stopped at state operated visitor centers last year, with the most travelers coming from Texas, California, Illinois and Washington states.

Film, Arts and Entertainment Program Manager Michelle Phelan reported Wyoming continues to be used for film and advertising location shoots, with most of that activity occurring in around Jackson and Casper where the most film oriented support services are located, but she also said other filming activity has occurred statewide.

Tourism Media Program Manager Chuck Coon showed a multi-media presentation featuring internet movie clips and segments of national and regional television shows which featured Wyoming.

Governor Chooses Members of New Tourism Board

******FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE******

Contact: Press Secretary Lara Azar
Office 307.777.7437
Cell 307.421.0197

GOVERNOR CHOOSES MEMBERS OF NEW TOURISM BOARD

CHEYENNE, Wyo. ¡Ì Nine tourism experts from around the state will make up the newly created Wyoming Tourism Board, Gov. Dave Freudenthal has announced.

The governor sent letters to the individuals Monday, notifying them of their appointments to the board. The Wyoming Tourism Board will operate within the Wyoming Business Council, but will maintain its autonomy with regard to tourism in the state.

It was created under the recently approved supplemental budget bill and faces a sunset date of July 1, 2004, barring other action by the Legislature. The Tourism Board is charged with implementing the tourism program and functions, including appropriating the associated funds, assigned to the Wyoming Business Council under the Wyoming Economic Development Act.

" I have assembled a group of Wyoming's real authorities on the tourism industry,"Freudenthal said. "They bring different backgrounds to the table, but all have hands-on experience in tourism, something we need if we¡Òre going to take full advantage of Wyoming's appeal to travelers."

The nine members include:

-Paul Smith of Cheyenne, president of the Hitching Post Inn, representing District 1 (Platte, Goshen and Laramie counties).

-Dave Hanks of Rock Springs, executive director of the Rock Springs Chamber of Commerce, representing District 2 (Sweetwater, Carbon and Albany counties).

-Clay James of Moran, vice president and chief operating officer of the Grand Teton Lodge Company, representing District 3 (Teton, Sublette, Lincoln and Uinta counties).

-Clay Miller of Buffalo, co-owner of Paradise Dude Ranch, representing District 4 (Sheridan, Campbell and Johnson counties).

-Gene Bryan of Cody, director of the Cody Chamber of Commerce, representing District 5 (Park, Big Horn, Hot Springs and Washakie counties).

-Matt Driskell of Devils Tower, owner of the KOA Campground there, representing District 6 (Crook, Weston and Niobrara counties).

-Pat Sweeney of Casper, co-owner of the Parkway Plaza, representing District 7 (Fremont, Natrona and Converse counties).

-Pam Avery of Casper, general manager of the Holiday Inn there, an at-large member.

-Trudy McCraken of Laramie, co-owner of the Howard Johnson and Holiday Inn there, an at-large member.

Snowmobiles Slide Away To A Brighter Future

This month the Bush administration reversed a decision reached during the Clinton years that will help save the future for snowmobiles in Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks.

The Bush plan will allow more snowmobiles in the two National Parks, but increasingly requires snowmobiles to use four cycle engines and more stringent maximum numbers during peak days.

The Interior Department officials said that there would be no limits on smowmobiles for the winter season beginning in December and running through mid-March. However, new regulations will begin, including:

• 80 percent of the snowmobiles allowed in the two parks must be led by commercial guides.
• Beginning in 2003, rented snowmobiles will have to have four-cycle engines, which are quieter and less-polluting than the two-cycle engines in almost all machines currently. Private snowmobile owners can use two-cycle engines until the 2004-2005 winter season. The Interior Department said that their plan is based on a belief that four-stroke engines can reduce noise and slash emissions of hydrocarbons by 90 percent and carbon monoxide by 70 percent
• Beginning in December 2003, no more than 1,100 snowmobiles a day would be allowed in the two parks and a portion of the John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Memorial Parkway connecting them.

The breakdown for the maximum numbers would be:
On peak days, no more than 950 snowmobiles would be allowed into Yellowstone National Park: 550 through the west entrance at West Yellowstone, MT; 50 through the north entrance at Gardiner, MT; 250 through the South entrance toward Grand Teton, and 100 through the East entrance near Cody. Another 75 would be allowed into Grand Teton National Park and 75 more from a road along the Rockefeller parkway.
As a comparison for the past decade the parks have had an average of 840 snowmobiles a day but have peaked at around 1,650 daily.

¡°This plan, in essence, stays away from the extremes,¡± said Eric Ruff, an Interior Department spokesman. ¡°It strikes a good balance. It protects resources and allows visitors a unique experience. It¡¯s never been managed like this before.¡±

Not everyone was pleased with the compromise, unfortunately. ¡°This is just a boon to the industry,¡± said Kristen Brengel of the Wilderness Society, an environmental group. ¡°This is not what the American public has been expecting.¡±

Bill Dart, a public lands director for the Idaho-based Blue Ribbon Coalition, disagrees with the environmentalist view. ¡°Clearly, I don¡¯t think they¡¯re caving to industry,¡± Dart said, ¡°They¡¯re talking about one-third less numbers on peak days.¡±