Committee Meeting Information

May 5 & 6, 2008

Holiday Inn on the Waters

Thermopolis, Wyoming

 

Committee Members Present

Senator Bruce Burns, Co-Chairman

Representative Pat Childers, Co-Chairman

Senator Hank Coe (May 6)

Senator Mike Massie

Representative Kermit Brown

Representative Patrick Goggles

Representative Allen Jaggi

Representative Jim Slater

Representative Bill Thompson

 

Committee Members Absent

Senator Pat Aullman

Senator Hank Coe (May 5)

Senator Jayne Mockler

Representative Bernadine Craft

Representative Kathy Davison

Representative Jerry Iekel

 

Legislative Service Office Staff

Lynda Cook, Staff Attorney

 

Others Present at Meeting

Representative Debbie Hammons

Representative Lorraine Quarberg

Please refer to Appendix 1 to review the Committee Sign-in Sheet
for a list of other individuals who attended the meeting.

Joint Travel, Recreation, Wildlife and Cultural Resources Interim Committee Meeting Summary (May 5 & 6, 2008)

 

The Joint Travel, Recreation, Wildlife and Cultural Resources Interim Committee met in Thermopolis to considerer issues related to state parks and cultural resources, department of tourism and game and fish. 

 

The committee heard testimony regarding the department of tourism's state marketing plan and the department of state parks and cultural resources plans for developing and promoting cultural tourism in the state.  The committee also heard testimony from the game and fish department regarding the need to regulate antler hunting and the use of immunocontraceptives in wild ungulates.

 

Call To Order (May 5, 2008)

Co-Chairman Bruce Burns called the meeting to order at 9:00 am.  The following sections summarize the Committee proceedings by topic.  Please refer to Appendix 2 to review the Committee Meeting Agenda.

 

Approval of Minutes

Minutes from the October, 2007 Committee meeting were approved.

 

Department of Tourism

 

Diane Shober and Alan Dubberley with the Department of Tourism gave a presentation about Project Front Door (Exhibit 3)  and updated the committee on what is happening in the world of tourism.  Ms. Shober introduced two members of the Tourism Board in attendance.

 

Ms. Shober testified that employment earnings in the tourism industry was $624 million in Wyoming in 2006.

 

There was discussion about the impact of gas prices on visitation.  Ms. Shober indicated that inquiries on travel planning are up this year so far.  However she testified that she has heard that reservations for dude ranches have gone down.  There was an indication that it is largely due to higher airline prices.  She also noted that visitation from Europe will be higher this year because of the strong Euro.

 

Ms. Shober discussed the department’s marketing plan for Wyoming’s tourism product and provided a DVD of the commercials.  (Exhibit 4).  She also discussed the brand “Wyoming. Forever West.”.  The top four activities that visitors reported doing in Wyoming were visiting a national park, scenic drives, sightseeing tours and visiting historic sites.  Ms. Shober compared these to the rest of the US where the top activities are dining, shopping, entertainment and sightseeing.

 

Ms. Shober provided a copy of the department’s media purchases for 2008.  (Exhibit 5) and showed examples of the advertising created to promote the Wyoming product.  She noted that tourism inquiries into her office are up 44% in 2008 over 2007.

 

Mr. Dubberley provided a walkthrough of the department’s website.  He showed how they have links for 13 different road trips described on the site.  He explained how the website is interactive and useful to coordinate the needs of visitors with destination and local websites.  He noted how the department is working with smaller communities who do not have the skills to develop their websites in a sophisticated manner. 

 

There was discussion about whether visitors are receiving the quality of experience to match the expectations created by the advertising campaign.

 

Ms. Shober updated the committee on the purchase of the Grunko library and the film industry incentive program.  She stated that the office is sponsoring a short film contest.  They are also working with community colleges to train a film industry workforce. 

 

Ms. Shober described other programs the department has implemented including signage and a destination marketing specialist certification program.  The department has a program to train destination providers to help them determine if they are meeting the needs of visitors.

 

Ms. Shober described the Project Front Door program which is a tourism master plan for Wyoming.   Ms. Shober mentioned a conference in December which seeks to encourage cooperation between gateway communities and parks.  (Exhibit 6).

 

There was discussion of the role of the tourism department with the interim topic of cultural tourism.  Ms. Shober stated that she sees the department integrating the site destinations into a plan that promotes them.  She also suggested that the tourism department can help with site specific development of marketing plans.

 

State Parks and Historic Sites – Cultural Tourism

 

Milward Simpson and Sarah Needles testified.  They provided a presentation on cultural tourism.  Mr. Simpson introduced all of the staff members in the audience.

 

Cultural Heritage Tourism is traveling to experience the places and activities that authentically represent the stories of people from the past and present.  Cultural history encompasses natural vistas as well as cultural and artistic aspects of a community.  Mr. Simpson explained the advantages of cultural tourism to local communities.  He explained that the market for cultural tourism opportunities has increased.  He stated that the cultural heritage tourist tends to stay longer, spend more money and be more educated.

 

Mr. Simpson testified that the five principles of cultural tourism are collaboration, finding the fit between the community and tourism, making sites and programs come alive, focusing on quality and authenticity,  and preserving and protecting the resources.   He noted that a lot of the interest in cultural tourism has come out of the post 9-11 psyche where people want to reconnect with our country's history and heritage. 

 

There was discussion about the relationship between state parks department and the tourism department.  Mr. Simpson suggested that his department could be working with the tourism department in a more deliberate fashion.  Senator Burns expressed concern about a potential structural flaw in having such separate departments.  He asked for an organizational chart for the department of state parks and cultural resources.  There was also discussion about how the department coordinates with federal agencies to promote tourism.  The committee focused on the mechanism for the coordination between the two departments.  Ms. Shober mentioned that they are working with employees on the local level to get the information for promotion.  Ms. Needles described how the state historic preservation office (SHPO) has worked with federal agencies to mitigate impacts on historic resources and how they could be working with tourism to better use mitigation to promote tourism. 

 

There was a discussion about how the state can make a coordinated effort to make comments to the federal government that address all the state’s interests – from recreation to cultural resource protection to tourism.

 

Ms. Needles provided a discussion of cultural heritage corridors and using collaboration to make these things go smoothly.  Corridors can include thematic corridors – military sites, railroad routes, prehistory historic trails.  Ms. Needles stated that a good example is Utah’s heritage highway tour.  She testified that cooperation is essential to establishing a corridor.  Cooperators have to share in the costs and benefits and have a common vision.  Ms. Needles suggested that one way is to have a grant program for cooperators entering into a memorandum of understanding for development of a corridor.

 

Ms. Needles testified that once a corridor is chosen there must be professional research into the potential for the sites within the corridor.  She stated that adequate site protection is very important.  The sites must be developed for public access but there must be appropriate protection, especially with unmanned sites.  Then appropriate interpretation and signage must be created.  Finally it is important to work with tourism to create an itinerary for a particular area.

 

Representative Hammons testified about the difficulty of trying to create corridors at the local level.  She argued that Wyoming has the assets to accomplish this.  She stated that the system flaw with doing this is that right now it requires intergovernmental cooperation.  She stated that there is no statewide mechanism to develop those regional efforts.  She also argued that there is a problem with bringing federal agencies to the table.  She expressed concern that the state lacks the vision and will to create a statewide effort to encourage this coordination.

 

The department of state parks and cultural resources presented several certificates of thanks to people who worked very hard to get Legend Rock rehabilitated and interpreted.  A steering committee was created and the Worland BLM office provided a great deal of help.  Mike Bees accepted the BLM’s certificate.  Dick Skelton received a certificate for his help on behalf of the Hot Springs county road/bridge department.   Merit Energy received a certificate for their help in providing water for the project.  A certificate was presented to the national BLM office for their invaluable assistance.

 

Todd Thibodeau provided a presentation about sites that are in jeopardy.  He noted that the department is currently working on going through the legal descriptions in their statutes and will be bringing a bill to the committee to clean up all the discrepancies in those legal descriptions. 

 

Mr. Thibodeau testified that the department faces challenges protecting and promoting many sites that are in remote locations.  He noted that the department does not even have legal access to some sites they manage.  Management is a problem in that there is no staff and no budgets for maintaining the sites.  He testified that lack of resources is part of the problem leading to deterioration, neglect, vandalism and inadvertent damage.  He stated that the other challenge is how to make the site meaningful to the public.

 

Mr. Thibodeau described Point of Rocks Historical Site.  He noted that it is a satellite to the South Pass City office.  It is located 130 miles away from South Pass City so it does not receive a lot of personnel attention. 

 

Mr. Thibodeau described four types of unstaffed sites:  archeological sites, historic buildings, historic sites with no buildings and sites that the department does not know for sure who is responsible for.

 

Mr. Thibodeau showed the committee a map showing satellite sites throughout the state. (Exhibit 7).  He stated that the department's first step is to determine exactly what sites are under their purview.  Next they need to work with the public to develop a management strategy.  He testified that the department needs to stabilize or restore structures as determined by the management strategy.   Finally, they need to figure out how to interpret the sites and market them to the public. 

 

State Archeologist, Mark Miller, provided a presentation on Legend Rock petroglyph site. (Exhibit 8).    He testified that nearly 300 human and animal images have been etched on the site by prehistorical man.   The style of petroglyph is of the Dinwoody tradition.  He stated that human depictions in this style invariably have horns or headdresses.  Mr. Miller testified about how the dating of rock art is done. 

 

Kevin Skates, Superintendent of Hot Springs State Park, gave a presentation of how the steering committee worked in preserving the Legend Rock site.  He described how the site looked prior to restoration and described the problems with access to the site.

 

Senator Massie asked the department of state parks and cultural resources to come back to the next meeting with some direction as to what the department would like to see done.  The committee did not direct staff to draft any legislation at this time but to hear further testimony at the next meeting.

 

The department of state parks and cultural resources will work with the department of tourism to bring a comprehensive proposal to the next meeting.

 

The committee recessed to tour the Legend Rock site.

 

Game and Fish Department

 

Terry Cleveland introduced members of the Game and Fish Department and Commission.  He provided an update on wolf delisting.  He stated that the federal district court in Montana will have a hearing next week on whether to enjoin the rule.  If that occurs the department could enter into an MOU to act under the federal umbrella to manage wolves in the trophy game area.  The department has hired Mike Jimenez to run the wolf program.  As of May 6, 2008 there have been 19 total wolves killed – 16 were killed as predators.  He testified that many would have been taken by wildlife services for predation even without the delisting.  Three have died in the trophy area – one by car, one by wolves and one for which a criminal investigation is underway.

 

Mr. Cleveland testified that the lawsuit is based on the claim that there needs to be many more wolves to maintain an adequate and pure population.  The other claim in the lawsuit is that Wyoming and Idaho’s plans do not provide adequate regulatory mechanisms for protection of wolves.  The committee asked about the numbers of animals that are in the areas.  Mr. Cleveland stated that in the trophy game area there are approximately 150-180 and, prior to the delisting decision, there were 30-35 known wolves outside the trophy game area.

 

Sensitive Species Update

 

Dirk Miller, Bob Oakleaf and Dave Zafft provided a presentation on sensitive species program. (Exhibit 9).  They testified that the state receives about $500,000-700,000 per year through state wildlife grants to help prevent listing of sensitive species.  The department created a comprehensive wildlife conservation strategy to administer the program.  The plan designates 235 species as species of greatest conservation need.  Most of these are listed that way because of lack of data.  Dave Zafft provided some examples of how the funds have been used to develop information on aquatic species.  Mr. Cleveland mentioned that the governor’s office, the commission and federal agencies have entered into an MOU to require the federal agencies to seek the state’s data on any listing decision prior to the listing.  He stated that only two states have entered into this kind of MOU.   Bob Oakleaf provided examples of how the funds have been used to develop information on terrestrial species.  There was discussion about how the department decides which species is the one that deserves to be saved and which ones must be sacrificed.    There was also discussion about the impacts that are beyond the control of the department including drought and development.

 

Terry Cleveland gave a brief update on the status of grizzly bear delisting.  There are currently 3 lawsuits in the ninth circuit.  He stated that the department will likely propose a hunting season in fall of 2009.

 

Antler Hunting

 

Jay Lawson, Wildlife Division Chief, presented the department’s concerns about antler hunting in Wyoming.  (Exhibit 10).   He testified that the problem with antler hunting is that it can cause disturbance to wintering animals and there is a growing influx of antler hunters because it is being regulated in surrounding states.  Hunters often push big game through trees and deep snow to get antlers to drop off.  Sometimes people will camp while following specific deer or will use dogs to retrieve the sheds.  Sheds can be valuable and are often used in furniture or mounted.  There are contests to find the biggest sheds.  People also disturb animals on areas that are closed to hunting as closed winter range which defeats the  purpose of closing the range.  In 2002 the department attempted to propose regulations to control the antler hunting.  A 2003 attorney general opinion stated that the department did not have the authority to regulate the activity under their current statutes.  It was noted that the Lincoln county commissioners have recently passed a resolution to try to control the problem but it is questionable whether they have the authority to do so.

 

Mr. Lawson stated that the department does not want to prohibit the activity completely but is interested in regulating the activity in order to protect wildlife in critical winter ranges.

 

The committee directed LSO staff to draft legislation that would give the department authority to regulate antler hunting and to amend the harassment statutes to ensure harassment by foot is also prohibited.  The bill should also include penalties which can be fleshed out in the future.   The committee directed that the regulation should not include permitting of the act of collection.

 

Bob Wharf, Sportsmen for Fish and Wildlife, testified in support of the bill.  He suggested that the penalties should be severe.

 

Immunocontraceptive Use in Wild Ungulates

 

John Emmerich testified that regulation of birth control is a similar issue in that the department is concerned about use of the drug by non-governmental entities to affect wildlife populations.   (Exhibit 11). He described the drug Gonacon which can be used on deer and elk to affect reproductive cycles.  The department would like the authority to regulate the use of the product. 

 

The committee directed LSO staff to draft a bill allowing the department to regulate the use of the product.

 

Other business

 

Terry Cleveland noted to the committee that currently under statute there is no requirement that persons who put out traps and snares periodically check those snares.  He stated that the department is trying to build consensus with other interest groups to draft legislation that would solve the problem.  He asked that the department be authorized to work with LSO to bring legislation if consensus can be reached.  The committee asked the LSO staff to draft a letter to Management Council requesting authority to deal with any minor game and fish and state parks issues that would not take any more committee time.

 

Terry Cleveland closed with a thank you to the committee for all their help in the last four years.  The committee thanked Mr. Cleveland for his years of service and wished him well in his retirement.

 

The next meeting was set for July 8 & 9, 2008 in Evanston, subject to conflict with other meetings.

 

Meeting Adjournment

 

There being no further business, Co-Chairman Pat Childers adjourned the meeting at 11:50 a.m.

 

Respectfully submitted,

 

 

 

 

Bruce Burns, Co-Chairman                                                                  Pat Childers, Co-Chairman

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Appendix		Appendix Topic		Appendix Description		Appendix Provider
1		Committee Sign-In Sheet		Lists meeting attendees		Legislative Service Office
2		Committee Meeting Agenda		Provides an outline of the topics the Committee planned to address at meeting		Legislative Service Office
3		Tourism		Project Front Door		Dept. of Tourism
4		Tourism		DVD:  Wyoming.  Forever West.		Dept. of Tourism
5		Tourism		2008 Media Plan Summary		Dept. of Tourism
6		State Parks		Preserve Wyoming 2008 Pamphlet		State Parks & Cultural Resources
7		State Parks		Map of unstaffed historic sites		State Parks & Cultural Resources
8		State Parks		Written Testimony on Legend Rock		Mark Miller
9		Game & Fish		Sensitive Species Program Update		Game & Fish
10		Game & Fish		Antler Hunting Issues in Wyoming		Game & Fish
11		Game & Fish		Immunocontraceptive Vaccines		Game & Fish