Attending: Name Organization Meeting Minutes August 18, 2015 Boulder Town Hall In Attendance VOTING YES NO Bill Geil / Keith Watts Boulder Town x A. Jean Seiler Bryce Canyon City x Jerry Taylor Escalante City x Norm Davis Henrieville Town x Jeff Stock Cannonville Town x Lowell Mecham Tropic Town x Ty Markham Torrey Town x Art Cooper Panguitch City x Del LeFevre Garfield County Commission x Falyn Owens Garfield County Travel Council x Michelle Coleman Wayne County Commission x Nycole Durfey Wayne County Travel Council (M. Coleman Proxy) x Sue Mosier Escalante/Boulder Chamber of Commerce-Chair x Alice Wolf Bryce Valley Business Association x Rick Dustin USFS x Allysia Angus BLM/GSENM x Kathleen Gonder NPS (Proxy Lisa Ekkert) x Mike Nelson Utah State Parks x Rhett Arnell Utah Department of Transportation x Cody Clark Member-at-large (Proxy Barbara Torgerson) x Robert McElaney Member-at-large (Proxy Susan Nelson) x Susan Nelson Member-at-large x NON-VOTING or Proxies and Public John Holland Byway Coordinator x Carolyn Shelton Secretary x Gael Hill SB12 Foundation x David Tebbs Garfield County Commission x Robert Dowell Proxy for Rhett Arnell UDOT x Steve Kunzler UDOT x Michelle Coleman Proxy for Nycole Durfey x Susan Nelson Proxy for Robert McElaney x Lisa Eckhert Bryce Canyon NP Superintendent x NewellHarwood Wayne County Commissioner x Naomi Brems Boulder Resident x Rob Brems Boulder Resident x Leah McGinnis Capitol Reef NP Superintendent x Cindy Micheli Acting Interpretation Chief Capitol Reef NP x Jabe Beal Boulder Resident x Jackie Wonocifch x Erica Walz Insider x
Ted Winder Tour Guide x JaNae Winder Tour Guide x Jon Weisberg Teasdale Citizen x Bob Littlehale Teasdale Citizen x Mark Nelson Boulder Redident x Eric Houston Panguitch City x Barbara Torgerson Fish Lake National Forest x Lance Syrett Ruby s Inn x Robert Weineck Garfield County Resident x Marsha Holland Tropic Town Resident x Josh Ellis Boulder Town Resident x Pace Clarke State Bank of Southern Utah x Steve Cox Boulder resident x Cheryl Cox Boulder resident x Welcome, Approval of Minutes, and Adoption of Agenda Sue Mosier welcomed everyone. A round robin of introductions took place board & audience Proxies approved unanimously by motion: motion by Allysia Angus/second by Art Cooper o Michelle Coleman Proxy for Nycole Durfey o Susan Nelson Proxy for Proxy for Robert McElaney o Lisa Eckhert Proxy for Kathleen Gonder The minutes were approved unanimously by motion from Art Cooper/second by Allysia Angus. Adoption of agenda by motion from Art Cooper/ second by Alice Wolf Byway Coordinator s Report Tourism Round Table June 18, 2015 in Richfield o More discussion later in this meeting Spaghetti Dinner Fundraiser July 10 in conjunction with the Bryce Canyon Half-Marathon. o Served 230 meals with net proceeds of $1,016.55 Damage to Hole-in-the-Rock interpretive panel and need for replacement. $500 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction of the guilty party. Motion made by Lowell Mecham/second by Allysia Angus; unanimous vote of approval for report and reward leading to arrest and conviction. Financial Report Account balance - $11,692.99 Cash Garfield County contribution $10,000 Spaghetti Dinner net proceeds $1,016.55 Motion by Art Cooper/ second Michelle Coleman; unanimous vote of approval for Financial Report Byway Partner Reports National Park Service Bryce NP: June Visitation up 44% 305K vs 211K 2014; 90 minute vehicle restriction on one Saturday in June; busses continue to operate all the time; Working on a paved pathway to connect the Bruce Shuttle in Bryce City to Inspiration Point in Bryce National Park. Additional parking lots will also be built with the ability to be expanded. Capitol Reel NP: remodeling new exhibits in visitor center + outdoor plaza area; redesign of VC parking lot; remodeling of irrigation system; Livestock Grazing EIS public comment ended in May; spring 2016 anticipated draft and 2017 anticipate Record of Decision; plums ready now! Bumper crop of peaches anticipated early Sept. Visitation: July up 44%; up overall 23% for the year to date; VC has over 1,000
people/day; planning the Oct. 9/10 Heritage Star Fest with telescopes and evening programs at the park and in Torrey; new book Beyond Capitol Reef is available. BLM/Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument Visitation has slightly dropped in summer months (July & August); overall up from previous years; SRPs processed (over 100 special recreation outfiitters and guides on GSENM); Film operations on GSENM two recent films shot on GSENM; Visitor Experience Baseline Study from Colorado Mesa University conducted this summer; focus on south GSENM; Some construction Oct/Nov. Deer Creek Campground; now in scoping process for Dry Fork Slots; in initial design phase for Calf Creek Campground & Day Use Recreation Area shade shelters, new toilet; walk-in sites; hardened campsites; water creek play area shored up ; Our natural history association, Glen Canyon NHA, hired Karen Dallet as the new Executive Director; GSENM Artist in Residence (AiR) in cooperation with Escalante Arts Festival selected plein air artist Bonnie Griffith; festival is last weekend in September; GSENM is installing newly designed National Landscape Conservation System signs along highways, secondary roads, and visitor centers; UDOT installed new barriers above Calf Creek Campground; Aug. 18-19 Vegetation Restoration Forum and Field Trip; anticipate Record of Decision on Grazing EIS in 2017 National Forest Crack, seal, and oil overlay on bike path thru Red Canyon with deferred maintenance monies; much needed improvement that will be safer and last longer; Visitation up 30% overall, down a bit this month; now 1,000-1500 visitors/day; In design process (architectural style from 1930s with water, safety, and accessibility standards) for Cow Puncher Guard Station (rental cabin provided to the public) anticipate reconstruction in 2016; In 2017 Dixie NF will begin process of new forest plan & environmental analysis, reviewing the services that the national forest provides the public - existing forest plan is 27 years old; Looking at mineral exploration process on DNF; will need to complete an EA (environmental analysis); received several applications from private companies; DNF will come up with several alternatives through the EA process; Analysis of visitation (5 year monitoring project); indications are that DNF has increased 15% (5 years ago 1 million visitors on the forest); Recreation Master Plan delayed to be done with the overall Forest Plan Revision in future; Still don t have culinary water at Red Canyon Visitor Center still trying to resolve water system problems; also have spring-fed water problems at several campgrounds. UDOT Region 4 Hwy 12 pullouts and signage in process; will need to observe how effective these improvements are in safety and compliance for road travelers; pull-outs are for traffic purposes not viewpoints; New signage: GSENM - let people know Calf Creek Campground & trail ahead + restricting over-size vehicles over 25 ( 4 signs are $6K); Mossy Cave/Bryce Canyon NP will provide some no parking signs on Tropic approach along roadside; GSENM signage going up on The Blues westbound for the steep grade, will activate lights when car approaches, also in curves; installed 4 variable message boards for motorcycle safety at each end of Hwy 12, eastbound out of Escalante, westbound out of Boulder; extension of Red Canyon Trail paving coming soon to Ruby s Inn area; Boulder Town signage (speed issues); permits on irrigation water pipline in ROW Robert Weineck concern with ½ mile stretch with potentially 10 new signs of some sort going in between Escalante River Bridge and Calf Creek Campground historically safest stretch between Head of the Rocks and Boulder concern with sign proliferation in the area;
Response by Robert Dowell: it is UDOT s responsibility to keep the travelling public people safe ;- understands that these signs may detract from the scenic beauty, but are intent that safety and protection of the public now and in the future UDOT will continue to seek ways to make the highways safer they strive for Zero Fatalities (76 in 2014; up 15% in 2015) UDOT states that signage is a low-cost way to improve people s awareness of highway danger signs will be going in that area. Question from audience is there research on people watching and obeying the signs vs not paying attention to them anymore? Dowell: UDOT often uses different kinds of signs in order to be appropriate and relevant. Big challenge in making roads safer, particularly with bicyclists; don t want to increase speeds or create a superhighway; want to respect the landscape and scenery while being mindful of safety. Special events (some for profit/some not-for-profit) have a big impact; need to deal with an increase in these events that bring in more people are safety considerations. Utah State Parks Escalante SP had a recent bass tournament; they have a new kayak and paddleboard rental which is doing a good business. Anazazi SP also have a new food concessionaire; last weekend all Utah State Parks offered free access to military and their families. Cities and Towns Reports Bryce Valley-Bryce Canyon City is the staging area for bike path construction improvements (Red Canyon to Bryce NP); utilize part of the trails this winter groomed for X-C skiing (free); installing bike racks Tropic many cabins for rent and being used, now stay in Tropic instead of just Bryce NP; Bryce Valley Business Assn has published a booklet: 99 Things to Do in Bryce Area Panguitch Art Cooper says what is unique is common Boulder- October 8-11 Writer s Conference Henrieville no report Escalante Escalante Arts Festival Sept 25-26 three county painting range Torrey concerns about signs meeting standards/restrictions; series of free classical guitar concerts in DUP schoolhouse throughout the summer; coming years hope to expand into a week-long classical guitar festival. Garfield County 16% increase in transient room tax year-over-year. Fly-in Event at Bryce Airport open house Governor s Tourism Conference at Ruby s Inn Oct.6-8 - Wayne County Travel council reports visitation is up at their visitor center at the intersection of Hwy 12 and 24 Working on a bike/pedestrian path received a $50K state parks grant in 2013, need $1 million to meet UDOT standards; looking at other options to see if the county can do a part of the pathway, perhaps a boardwalk thru the wetlands Entrada Institute in Torrey has many educational and entertaining events Regional Discussion on Tourism Successes & Challenges State of Utah, Bureau of Economic & Business Research brief Tourism is the second largest export industry in Utah; 7.5 million in 2013; 1 in 10 jobs Larger share of tourism sales and tax revenues at county level; County economies are not as diverse as urban areas, but rural counties in So. Utah have tourism as a higher percentage of income In Garfield County, tourism related sales represent 69.1% of County generated taxable sales 2011-12: tourism dropped 1.2% in Garfield County; Possibly due to State of Utah promoting national parks [Mighty 5 Campaign], 2013,14,15 transient room taxes increased, up 15%, 7.6%, and this year so far 14.25%
Tourism Roundtable meeting in Richfield a month ago, called by people in Grand County due to overcrowding/closure issues at Arches NP; the DMOs (county tourism directors) convened a meeting with stakeholders and partners such as land management agencies, Utah Office of Tourism, and DMO s to discuss critical issues exacerbated by seasonal overcrowding throughout the region. Why is Hwy 12 Committee involved in this issue? Hwy 12 Committee was organized in 2002 when Hwy 12 was designated an All-American Road; one of the goals of the Hwy 12 Committeeis : balance the impacts of projected usage with impacts to local communities. The Committee hopes to identify projected impacts through the discussion. What are the impacts from the increase in tourism in Wayne and Garfield Counties? Question from audience: Why is there fluctuationin visitation? John Holland: it appears we are seeing a slowdown which is common as tourism visitation is cyclical and seasonal; Chinese, Greece, EU economies may be influencing people to delay trips to US and our region; Other response (Ty Markham): people don t want to be in Grand Canyon region in hottest months, so they visit us during these times (when it s cooler in mid-summer); would be great if advertising gave better weather information for the various parks and regions the hot parks and cool parks; Jon Weisberg: the concept of negative marketing push people away to other places because of lack of infrastructure, crowding; describe alternative destinations; improved communications & better messaging about trip planning at a fundamental level (move from feast to famine ); Josh Ellis: concern with emergency services (EMS) not being adequate since they are volunteer services in this area; problem for cities, counties, and parks; could there be a tax on visitors for this purpose? Garfield Co. is providing funds to EMS programs; might want to investigate how other counties are dealing with these issues Grand County, Sevier County (hiring paid staff), etc. Also problems with burnout to the limited volunteers. Concern with federal lands attracting people who get hurt need to contribute to EMS services; Panguitch went from 80 fire dept. runs/year to 20/year after rumble strips and signage were installed on Hwy89. Associated with large numbers of visitors - sewage & water problems; inadequate parking is a problem. Ted Winder motor coaches have their own particular issues; they bring in people and dollars; need large spaces to park and allow people off to take photos. Capitol Reef National Park congestion Leah McGinnis increased parking areas, especially for larger vehicles; put in more walkways; redesigning visitor center parking lots; concerns with the integrity of the Fruita Historic District and overcrowding as a detraction; plan to work more with Wayne Co. Tourism office to direct people to more areas of park. Bryce National Park congestion Lisa Ekkert Intermodal Transportation Plan directs more parking; asking large RVs not to park at viewpoints, but to ride the shuttle. Bryce Canyon Shuttle is optional, unlike Zion National Park; Bryce Canyon NP entrance fee now $30 ($20 goes to pay for the free shuttle); volunteers in parking lots will help direct busses to special parking areas; Q: how many people want to ride thru vs stop at viewpoints? Eckert need to better job at education to let people know where they can drive by to see Bryce viewpoints. Lance Syrett: Ruby s Inn does trip planning at check-in & encourage use of shuttle. The national park sees private lodging like Ruby s as their front line information staff.
Josh Ellis: Problem with labor availability in this region; people, work ethic, housing; out of country labor; Utah unemployment offered for tourism labor for part-year work vs. unemployment allows local people to stay as resident when there is no work available; subsidy discussion who should get subsidized? Norm Davis: this program discusses how we help people become more mindful of each other s needs and concerns; road shoulders are not necessarily the answer; everyone has their own concerns; bikes, fire trucks, busses, cars, photographers some are more careful than others. How can we expand to a year-round tourism industry? In this area, wintertime has limited options. The business association in Tropic has made great efforts to inform visitors, as have other towns and the counties. Restaurants in Tropic and Escalante are trying to stay open in a rotation over the slow season. Data & economic development: UofU Tourism and Travel analysis (Bieber Report), including demographics; representatives from USDA Dave Conine, Julie Suhr-Pierce (BLM socio-economist), Garfield County Steve Cox: Important to remember the experiences are important to the visitors; overcrowding is detrimental to the visitor experience. What is sustainable tourism? How can our communities think about this? Consider engaging the woman from U of U [Kelly Bricker] who is a specialist in sustainable tourism. The Arizona State University Appreciative Inquiry process; like what was done in communities surrounding GSENM a couple years ago maybe gear up community discussions again. Consider the continuum of experiences from highly developed to remote; how do we work together to direct people to what they are interested in; need to have involvement from tourism directors, federal and state agencies, and members of the public, including community residents and business owners. Rick Dustin: The reason people are coming, is for this sense of place and the experience not to spend money. People will spend money, but that s not their goal. If we don t respect this, and don t provide the desirable experiences, then the people will go elsewhere. You can t expand tourism to such a maximum that you destroy or change the experience so much it is not desirable any longer. Just expanding parking lots is not the answer. Tourism expansion is happening all over the world. Let s learn from other people in other places so that we can do it right! It will require thinking in new ways, and trying new things that may be difficult. In this region, we have diverse destinations, not just a single fantastic view. Recommend that there be small community discussions in the region. This concept further discussed and it was agreed that county tourism directors would benefit from exposure to the sustainable tourism concepts and practices being implemented in various destinations worldwide. [Professor Kelly Bricker is the Department Chair at U of U Parks, Recreation and Tourism and would be a good person to contact for initial exposure. She hosted a presentation at the Utah Governor s Outdoor Recreation Summit, March 2015 which was attended by Michele Coleman and John Holland]. County tourism directors could then lead the discussion in communities. Next scheduled meeting on Tuesday October 20, 2015 in Wayne County at 1 pm. John will provide the details in advance. Meeting adjourned at 3:55 pm. Motion made by Rick Dustin, seconded by Allysia Angus.