OCR Text |
Show of visitation to GSL recreation sites. The Governor's Office of Planning and Budget ( GOPB) estimates population along the Wasatch Front will grow at 2.1 percent annually in the ensuing years. Therefore, one can predict a base visitation increase of 2.1 percent annually to GSL recreation sites. Any development at the individual recreation sites will further expand visitation. Out- of- state tourism is very difficult to predict as it is dependent on a number of variables. Several of these variables include level of development, tourism promotion and local amenities. Utah state park visitation data indicates 33 percent of visitation to AISP and the old Great Salt Lake State Park is from out- of- state. The Utah Travel Council indicates that traffic through SLCIA has grown steadily at an average of 9 percent per year. State and local tourism agencies and the private tourism industry will continue to promote area attractions. The 2002 Olympic Games may have a significant and lasting influence on tourism to GSL. It is safe to project a growing number of out- of- state tourists to GSL attractions, particularly to sites of national significance or easy access from the interstates. Non- traditional Resources Recreation and Tourism A portion of nontraditional resources on GSL are recreational ( and to some degree tourist) in nature and are those activities like wildlife viewing, boating, hiking, and hunting and fishing. It goes without saying that GSL represents one of the premier recreational sites in the state of Utah. Moreover, GSL is one of the top areas in the western U. S. for bird watching enthusiasts. Given these unsurpassed opportunities, the nontraditional resources found at GSL are important to consider and study. Some of the bigger attractions on GSL are Antelope Island State Park, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge ( BRMBR), GSL Marina, and Willard Bay. It is interesting to note that each one has different users. Sailing is popular at GSL Marina, bird watching at BRMBR, hiking, biking, and day picnics at Antelope Island, and boating and fishing at Willard Bay. Additionally, duck hunting is extremely popular on GSL, accounting for 60% to 65% of the waterfowl hunting days in the state and about 80% of the total ducks bagged in Utah, according to state waterfowl managers. The significance of recreation and tourism extends beyond the activities themselves, for they also translate into economic activity, or spending. Obtaining true amounts of spending are for the most part difficult. In the case of direct fees or charges, like the fee to use the Davis County Causeway or the fee to moor a boat at the GSL Marina, valuation is simple: number of visitor units multiplied by the fee or charge. From this point, however, valuation becomes more complex and less objective. There are existing models that provide estimates for the amount of money spent per hunter day or spent by a typical angler. Data of this kind can be found in sources like the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service's National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife- Associated Recreation for Utah, which provides proxy data for expenditures spent on such activities. However, these figures may be subject to scrutiny, 143 |