Grand County’s Highly-Seasonal Labor Economy

Eric Martinson, Economist

One of the great aspects of Utah’s overall economy is in its diversity. Utah’s economy has consistently been able to mirror the nation’s economic diversity, with manufacturing in the northern Wasatch Front and Wasatch Front regions, oil and gas in the Uintah Basin, coal mining in Castle Country and the tech hub of Utah County. Another important industry which capitalizes on Utah’s diverse geographical landscape is tourism and recreation, from skiing in the winter in the Wasatch Mountains to spring-through-fall recreation in red rock country. Home to the ultimate red rock experience in Moab, Arches and Canyon Lands (among other recreational hotspots), Grand County is a mecca for those wishing to recreate, which occurs mostly during the warmer months of the year. The unique nature of this local economy provides and interesting dynamic in its highly-seasonal labor market activities. I have created three visualizations illustrating the degree of Grand County’s seasonality in terms of employment activity.

Arena poised for even bigger economic and recreational roles

While contending that the Old Spanish Trail Arena (OSTA) is already an economic boon to the community, arena manager Steve Swift says he hopes recent and future improvements will bring even greater benefits to area residents.

The OSTA hosted some 23 events last year, Swift said, adding that he didn’t count the ongoing non-paid use by winter indoor soccer leagues. Although the paid events in 2012 generated only about $16,000 cumulatively in arena rental fees, Swift said the facility’s benefit to the community is much greater.

Upscale campground proposed north of Moab

Imagine camping in a large canvas tent with wood floor, queen-sized bed, tables and chairs, catered meals and even a bottle of chilled champagne. That’s not a fantasy; it’s the type of resort a Montana-based company wants to establish seven miles north of Moab.

Moab Under Canvas Campground agent Jeff Pillus of Durango, Colo., spoke before the Grand County Planning and Zoning Commission on May 22 to explain the company’s vision for communing with the desert wilderness.

Pillus added that, for $300 per person per night, “you get everything.”

The upscale campground, which would feature teepees as well as tents, is proposed for 32 acres owned by Steven and Maurine Tanner. The Grand County Council has already granted a zone change from range and grazing to resort special. Now the company wants a conditional use permit for the site a mile north of the intersection of state Route 313 and U.S. 191.

Planning Commission members had lots of questions about the project. Read more: Moab Times-Independent

Ski Season Kicks Off in the La Sal Mountains

It’s winter in the La Sal Mountains and trails for skate and classical skiing are being groomed for this weekend.

Max Forgensi of the U.S. Forest Service said training for volunteers to use the grooming machine was held Saturday, Dec. 15, just as a foot of snow arrived in high elevations.

A dozen new volunteers were trained to use the Lower Utah Nordic Alliance (LUNA) grooming machine, bringing to about 24 the number of people who will keep trails in top shape this season, Forgensi said. He noted that the road beyond Geyser Pass winter trailhead is now closed.

Last weekend’s storm, and more snow that arrived Tuesday night and early Wednesday morning, helped boost southeast Utah’s snow water equivalent, which was at 24 percent of normal for the water year that began Oct. 1, Forgensi said.

Moab area residents awoke Wednesday to a blanket of snow that ranged from 2.5 inches to 4 inches, said Jim Pringle, a National Weather Service meteorologist in Grand Junction, Colo.

About 8 inches fell in Gold Basin in the La Sal Mountains, he said, along with 6 inches overnight at Geyer Pass, where 17 inches of snow has accumulated for the season. Pringle said 12 inches of snow fell Tuesday night and early Wednesday in the Abajo Mountains west of Monticello and the same amount was recorded at East Willow Creek in northern Grand County.


The Utah Avalanche Center has opened for the season. Information on backcountry avalanche conditions, snow levels and road conditions is available by calling 259-SNOW or at www.utahavalanchecenter.org.

Advisories cover the Abajo Mountains west of Monticello and the La Sal Mountains.

Forgensi warned that early season snow is not consolidated, which creates safety concerns.

He recalled the death of a man last winter who was hit by an avalanche while riding an ATV on a Forest Service road in Beaver Basin.

Kirstin Peterson, a volunteers coordinator for LUNA, emphasized that the groomed trails will be safe throughout the winter. They are maintained with funding through the Grand County Recreation Special Service District, Moab Trail Mix, and private donations.

LUNA works with the Forest Service to keep trails groomed, Peterson said. Those who want to be notified when grooming has occurred may write to her at kirstin.m.p@gmail.com to be placed on the email list. Volunteers try to groom twice a week.

Forgensi said San Juan County plows the road to the trails. Although lower-elevation roads for such things as school bus use are the county’s priority, Forgensi said, “When they get up there [on the mountain road] they really blow it out.”

Besides needing lots of volunteers to keep the ski trails groomed, he said help is also required to maintain the avalanche center. That comes via Friends of the La Sal Avalanche Center, Forgensi said, including Ed Grote who often donates his time to maintain weather stations.

“The sensors have to be maintained yearly so we’re getting accurate data,” Forgensi said. “Without all the community support, LUNA and the avalanche center would not be as successful as they are.”  Moab Times-Independent

Annual Pass Available for Southeastern Utah National Parks

Annual passes are available for Arches and Canyonlands national parks and Hovenweep and Natural Bridges national monuments.

The 2013 Southeast Utah Group Annual Pass is $25 and is valid for use beginning Jan. 1. The pass allows unlimited entry into all four parks within the group for up to one year. Passes are nonrefundable and nontransferable.

Patrons wishing to purchase passes for holiday gift giving may do so as long as the pass remains unsigned and invalidated. The pass will be validated upon first use by the pass purchaser or recipient at one of the four parks on or after January 1.

Passes may be purchased at the Arches Entrance Station, Canyonlands' Island in the Sky Visitor Center, and Hovenweep and Natural Bridges visitor centers. Deseret News

Construction Begins on $9.2 Million Bike Path

One of the nation’s most bicycle friendly communities is about to become even more welcoming to those on two wheels.

Construction starts Monday on a $9.2 million project to build a transit hub at the intersection of U.S. 191 and state Route 128 as well as a multi-use path along the Colorado River adjacent to SR 128. The transit hub will include parking, shade shelters and restroom facilities.

When completed in late summer or fall of 2013, there will be an underpass for bicyclists to access an existing paved path into Moab along U.S. 191 without having to dodge traffic on SR 128, county officials said. The underpass will connect Lions Park on the north side of SR 128 with the new transit hub on the south side.

In addition, bicyclists funneling down from several trails in the Porcupine Rim area onto SR 128 won’t have to share the narrow road with vehicles. The project will provide elevated paths on the river side of the road to keep bikers and pedestrians safe along the first three miles of SR 128 to the Negro Bill Canyon trail head.

Schappert wrote the grant applications that secured federal funding for the entire project. No state or local funding is being used, she said.

The transit hub will have a parking area large enough to accommodate commercial shuttle buses and vans dropping off or picking up clients as well as parking for individual vehicles. As part of a different funding package, Lions Park will get a large restroom, more parking and a covered picnic area, according to the design plans.

While there may be some economic benefit to the community from the enhanced biking facilities, Grand County Council member Chris Baird emphasized that increased safety is the prime consideration. He said hundreds of mountain bikers ride down from Porcupine Rim each day during tourist seasons and they’ll no longer be in danger on SR 128.

Project engineer Ken Davis said elevated paths will not have to be constructed all along the almost three-mile stretch of SR 128 from U.S. 191 almost to Negro Bill Canyon. Instead, some areas with existing wide turnouts will be utilized as bike paths. But where there is no available space, the raised platforms he calls “pedestrian bridges” will be installed on concrete columns between the river and the road.

Schappert said Horrocks Engineers gave “extensive attention to aesthetics” in designing the project. The design includes guardrails, retaining walls and other infrastructure that blends in with the landscape, she said. Times-Independent

Arches Trying to Cure 50 Years of Growing Pains

National Park Service officials are aware of the lack of parking in Arches. They are exploring options to improve a transportation infrastructure that was designed 50 years ago for an annual visitation of 75,000, but now sees more than 1 million people passing through the gate each year.

The goal of the "Alternative Transportation System and Congestion Management Study" is to reduce traffic congestion, air and noise pollution, greenhouse gas emissions and the impacts of transportation on the parks’ valuable resources. There is a target of diverting 25 percent of intended traffic in the park. That does not mean reducing the number of visitors, only the number of vehicles in Arches.

Arches officials are allowed to charge a transportation fee, but are "sensitive" about increasing the cost of visiting the popular Utah park.

Options explored during discussions on ways to reduce traffic in Arches ranged from implementing a reservation system for entry into the park and allowing drive-up visitors to enter when the slots were not full to running a shuttle only to the Windows section of the park to a "congestion management only strategy" that diverts cars away from high-traffic areas through communications with park visitors and local partners.

The challenge of a joint effort between Moab and the national park would be figuring out a way to collect a fare at the park entrance. Parks across the country have different ways of handling fee collection for shuttle riders, and it is not likely something that will halt the possibility of a partnership.

Park officials will continue to explore options for reducing the number of cars in Arches, but, like many other National Park Service superintendents across the country Cannon suggests she will wait to see what happens with the presidential election before making any firm decisions. Salt Lake Tribune

Protect Utah’s outdoors economy

With the Outdoor Retailer Show in Salt Lake City this week, it is a good time to reflect on what we have and how to protect it.

World class recreational opportunities are found throughout Utah, Colorado and Wyoming, a region that boasts one of the most successful recreation economies in the country, thanks to several national parks and iconic landscapes such as the San Rafael Swell, the Dirty Devil River and Desolation Canyon.

For decades these fantastic natural areas, which include world-famous paddling, rock climbing, mountain biking, canyoneering and hiking, have reliably attracted tourists to our hometown of Moab.

These unique recreation opportunities also attract permanent residents, resulting in an increased tax base for our town that has helped fund a new hospital, pool, library and school in the last five years alone. Our community depends on these regional recreational assets to protect our local economy and quality of life.

A recent Outdoor Industry Association study shows that as the national economy slumped, the outdoor recreation industry grew, driving $646 billion in annual spending and supporting 6.1 million domestic jobs. Salt Lake Tribune

Four Corners Visitors Can Now use Map, Website

Few areas of the United States possess as many national parks and monuments, ancient American Indian sites and scenery as the Four Corners of Utah, Arizona, Colorado and New Mexico.

Places such as Mesa Verde and Canyonlands national parks; Aztec, Hovenweep, Natural Bridges, Canyon de Chelly and Chaco Canyon national monuments; and Monument Valley combine with the culture of the Navajo and Hopi tribes to make a visit to the area a fascinating journey.

The four states are launching a major four-state geotourism initiative Saturday at Aztec Ruins National Monument. Geotourism is defined as tourism that sustains or enhances the geographic character of a place, its environment, culture, aesthetics and the well being of residents. It’s a collaboration between National Geographic, the Utah/Colorado Trail of the Ancients Scenic Byway, area nonprofit organizations and state, local and federal government agencies.

The event celebrates the release of two new products designed to promote the area.

National Geographic is releasing a full-color, waterproof, tear-resistant map called "The Four Corners Region —Trail of the Ancients." The map provides directions to historic structures and archeological sites, scenic landscapes, wildlife viewing areas, trails, outdoor recreation, local cuisine, festivals, artists and river guides.

The second product is the Four Corners Region — Trail of the Ancients" interactive website at www.fourcornersgeotourism.com. This is also a National Geographic production. Salt Lake Tribune

BLM Proposes Fee Hikes for Campgrounds

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is proposing to increase camping fees for overnight stays in 27 campgrounds managed by the agency’s Moab field office. The fee hikes are part of the BLM’s recently released draft business plan for Moab campgrounds. The agency will accept public comments on the plan through July 3, officials said.

The proposed fee change is expected to raise about $130,000 in new revenues, according to the draft plan. That additional revenue will help the BLM offset rising costs for maintenance, gas, trash pickup and other expenses associated with managing the camping areas and help the agency add new amenities such as shade structures and develop new camping areas, said Katie Stevens, outdoor recreation manager for the Moab BLM office. Moab Times-Independent

State offers webcast on tar sands project hearing

The Utah Department of Environmental Quality will provide a live webcast of a hearing on the PR Springs tar sands mining project in Uintah County Wednesday and Thursday.

An administrative law judge will hear evidence from the state Division of Water Quality, which has granted a permit for the project, and an environmental group appealing the permit, Moab-based Living Rivers. 

The DEQ has said the hearing involves only those officially involved in the dispute and is not a public meeting subject to the state Open and Public Meetings Act.

So, while the hearing itself will take place in an upstairs conference room at the Multi-Agency State Office Building, 1950 West 195 North, Salt Lake City, the public will be free to observe the broadcast in the DEQ Board Room on the first floor.

"The public is expected to be respectful to other members of the public and the facility during the hearing," says the state’s web page on the hearing. "DEQ reserves the right to remove individuals who are unable to respect these requirements."

The hearing takes place from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. both days. For a link to the webcast, go to: http://www.deq.utah.gov/Online_Services/deqwebcasts.htm. Salt Lake Tribune

Study: States rely on river visits for revenue

Businesses that earn money from recreation and tourism along the Colorado River support nearly a quarter of a million jobs in six Western states and produce $26 billion in value to the regional economy, a new study concluded.

The loss of those businesses to dwindling river flows could cost the states billions of dollars in tax revenue and throw thousands of people out of work, according to the study, released Friday by Protect the Flows, a coalition of small businesses along the 1,450-mile river.

The study's goal is to highlight the importance of preserving steady flows in the Colorado and its tributaries, even as demand in the West diverts an increasing amount of water out of the rivers and into reservoirs and pipelines.

Protect the Flows hired Southwick Associates, an economic-research firm, to try to determine the value of recreation and tourism on the river. Southwick surveyed hundreds of people in six states where the river produced direct business value: Arizona, Nevada, Utah, Wyoming, Colorado and New Mexico. Although California uses water from the Colorado, it generates little revenue directly along the river.

Those surveys revealed that nearly four in 10 of those questioned had participated in a recreational activity on the Colorado or one of its tributary rivers. With that information, Southwick used economic models to estimate the effect on businesses that provide direct services, such as river-rafting outfitters or boat-rental companies, and those that benefit in other ways, such as hotels and restaurants. 12 News (AZ)

Local business owners urge county to leave TRT rates unchanged

Two local businessmen spoke out against a proposed increase in Grand County’s transient room tax, saying a higher tax would negatively impact their tourist-based businesses. During the April 17 public hearing regarding a Grand County Council motion to increase the TRT from 3 percent to the maximum allowed 4.25 percent, Doug Sorenson and Brian Merrill asked the council to explore other avenues to raise additional revenue for the county.

Increasing the tax would generate an estimated $728,000 in extra funds, according to council member Chris Baird.

In a presentation to the council, Baird said the TRT increase is necessary in order for the county to successfully manage its budget without increasing property taxes during tough economic times. Baird noted that more than two million visitors come to Moab each year and use county services during their stay. However, those services are paid for through revenue created by the TRT and property taxes in the county, placing much of the burden on local taxpayers.

“Over the years, we’ve worked very hard to cut the budget every year to make sure that in times like this during the recession we are not imposing a property tax increase on our property owners,” Baird said. “I’ve also watched a variety of our fund balances decrease… We are now at the point where a couple of those, which are pretty important, will be depleted by the end of this year.”

Other areas that benefit from TRT revenue are Grand County Search and Rescue, law enforcement, the Old Spanish Trail Arena, the Grand Center, Emergency Medical Services and the Moab Area Travel Council. TRT funds are also slated to help pay for the non-motorized transit hub being built north of Moab, along with paved pathways and trail maintenance. MoabTimes-Independent

1,500 turn out for 'Lone Ranger' casting call in Moab

About 1,500 people turned out in Moab for the one-day casting call for Disney's remake of "The Lone Ranger." Directors with Los Angeles-based Sande Alessi Casting were looking for a broad range of body types and character traits, including men over 7 feet tall. "The Lone Ranger," which has a budget of $215 million, according to Variety, is being directed by Gore Verbinski. It is scheduled to hit theaters May 31, 2013. Deseret News