Jackson Hole Tourism Board Gives Nod to Plowing Money
The Jackson Hole Travel and Tourism Board Thursday unanimously approved up a guarantee of $56,000 in partnership with the Jackson Hole Chamber of Commerce who pledged another $14,400 to have the South Entrance of Yellowstone National Park opened on schedule. That support, however is pending agreement from the Wyoming Attorney General that the project does not constitute a capital improvement which by Travel and Tourism bylaws cannot be funded. Chamber President Jeff Golightly presented the proposal to the Travel and Tourism Board, saying that during that early period, visitors coming to see Yellowstone spend about $2.5 million in the local economy. Further, he said, the efforts by the local community to see to it the road is opened would produce a level of public relations that couldn’t be bought. The option of having Wyoming Department of Transportation open the road in agreement with the Park Service indicated the effort would cost an estimated $4400 per mile or a total of $70,400. While state staff and equipment would be available for the job, state funding would not. Under the plan, work by state plows would begin on April 8th and they would meet up with park crews south of Grant Village on May 2nd.
