Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Parks Access Economy topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Commission approves study of Arches timed‑entry system; agrees funding and repayment condition
Summary
After debate the commission approved engaging Kem C. Gardner Institute to study the economic impact of Arches National Park’s timed‑entry reservation system. Commissioners attached a funding condition requiring promotional TRT payment and a reimbursement mechanism if the study finds no measurable negative impact on county tourism.
The commission voted on June 17 to engage the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute for an independent impact study of Arches National Park’s timed‑entry reservation system. Commissioners said the study is intended to use post‑implementation visitation data to assess whether timed entry meaningfully affected visitor counts and local tourism revenue since 2022.
Commissioners debated scope and funding. Some commissioners urged a broad scope — to review multiple drivers of visitation and economic change — while others argued the county needs a tightly defined, peer‑reviewed study that isolates the park’s reservation system. Commissioner Martinez argued the county must ‘‘stop growing [the problem] and start growing the top line’’ and said a clear answer about Arches’s role in local revenue declines is needed.
Funding and conditions: During debate the commission agreed as a substitute motion to approve the Kem C. Gardner engagement with funding to come from promotional TRT funds and a written condition that the county would reimburse the TRT promotional allocation if the study concludes the timed‑entry policy had no demonstrable negative impact on Grand County visitation or TRT revenue. Commissioners also discussed alternative funding offers (the City expressed willingness, per a commissioner, to partner on a broader scope), but the approved motion tied the engagement to the county’s promotional TRT fund with the repayment caveat.
Why it matters: Commissioners are wrestling with declining local tax revenues and multiple competing explanations for the drop; the timed‑entry policy at Arches National Park has been raised repeatedly as a potential driver of lower hotel and sales tax receipts. A rigorous third‑party study is intended to give the county evidence to support policy or advocacy actions.
What’s next: County staff will finalize and sign an engagement contract with Kem C. Gardner Institute and proceed with the study. Commissioners asked for a timeline and deliverables; staff will return with a contract and estimated schedule.
