I recently saw a post on Facebook from someone who does a lot of hiking in the Utah great outdoors. I used to research more than I do now and I am glad because it is so disgusting to hear from others about the damage that is being done to our public lands.
The Facebook post states, “Every day I hike, I see trash, fire pits, used toilet paper strewn through and under trees and bushes, graffiti on petroglyphs and other places. Pistachio peels, orange and banana peels. Stones are piling up everywhere. And the worst? The colored rocks. Illegal ATV trails and drivers who throw their beer and beverage cans in the bushes and the damage they cause to the (sic) habitat and the land. Create new ways. You forget all the animals that live there. Balloons and Walmart bags are scattered around. There is more, but you get the essentials. “
This concerned person wrote that perhaps the worst seen was the racist graffiti in a beautiful slot canyon.
During the pandemic, people were encouraged to go out and enjoy the great outdoors, but I haven’t seen much about how to properly behave. Friends who cherish these special places are increasingly concerned about the abuse they see.
What’s the answer? Of course there needs to be more education for the youngest, but we need to make our teenagers aware of how to behave. What lessons do parents give their children? If parents don’t, schools have to do it. How do we get this information to our visitors? Apparently money flows to promote, not to educate.
In 2013, government funds began to flow in to encourage visits to our parks. Well that is certainly done. Now they are overcrowded and the damage is spiraling out of control.
As early as August 23, 2013, an editorial by Spectrum focused on the money that was spent to promote tourism. More than $ 500,000 was distributed by the Utah Office of Tourism to promote southern Utah alone. According to the article, the Utah Office of Tourism Board also voted for $ 2.5 million to boost tourism to support the region’s economy. $ 224,250 was donated to the St. George Convention and Tourism Office to promote a variety of St. George events. The Tuacahn Center for the Arts received $ 112,500 for its Broadway in the Desert shows. The purpose of all of this was to showcase our area and our state. The promoters were dizzy about how all of this would benefit our state and county economically. Well boy sure they did, but now we’re facing the negatives of all of marketing. With all their enthusiasm, they probably didn’t think of that!
Even before the pandemic people in Zion got out of hand and damage was seen elsewhere on our public land. In 2015, The Spectrum reported that “a large majority of Utahners are willing to pay to invest in recreational facilities as the state grows, but they would largely not share these new facilities with tourists, according to survey results released this week . ”The referenced poll was“ Your Utah, Your Future, ”conducted by Envision Utah.
By this point, just two years after the flow of money began, people were already less confident about actively promoting tourism, and yet these efforts continued. Robert Grow, CEO of Envision Utah, noted that there is no nationwide plan for outdoor recreation and the survey found that a plan is needed. Given the damage the Utahners themselves caused, that’s very true! Respondents disagreed on how to pay for this, but if we took the money that is currently going into Utah mining and actually used that money to help protect Utah, maybe that would help.
My recent review of the Utah Department of Tourism meetings shows that there is far more to driving up tourist numbers and raking in dollars than protecting the golden goose. Encouraging tourists to find “hidden gems” has been mentioned several times.
According to the University of Utah’s Kem C. Gardner Institute, The State of Utah’s Travel and Tourism Industry, 2018 report, the number of visitors to the Utah national park and site has grown from 10 million recreational visits since 1998 to over 17 million in 2018 National Park Service does not include visit dates for the Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area and the Bears Ears National Monument. Of the 17 million plus in 2018, nearly 11 million visited Utah’s Big Five national parks, with the highest total numbers in Zion and the highest increases in Arches, Bryce and Capitol Reef.
The Gardner report shows that the number of state parks has also increased tremendously. From 2017 to 2018 alone there was a 17.9% increase, including 43,000 more visitors to Snow Canyon State Park, an increase of 14.4%. Given the numbers we’ve seen during the pandemic, one can only guess what the total will be when the new reports are released. The report is all about money and numbers. I have seen no indication of the damage being done to our public lands by all of these efforts to promote and promote Utah.
More recent information shows that tourism in Arches NP, Canyonlands NP, Hovenweep NM and Natural Bridges NM actually declined in 2020 compared to 2019 numbers, but that will no longer apply now as the government opened the door for “Post COVID “activities are wide open.
I fully understand that people are tired of being locked in and wanting to go out and have fun. However, that does not mean that they should be allowed to damage the areas they visit. What kind of thinking is that? Or not think? Do people have to leave their mark everywhere? Is their life missing so much that the only legacy they can leave behind is that they existed? As I write this article, valet parking is trying to figure out how to deal with the crowds that will flock to Zion, Arches, and other valuable locations over Memorial Day weekend. This public land belongs to all of us, but when some have the right to be harmed, it becomes difficult for all.
The Utah Office of Tourism receives approximately $ 25 million annually to promote our state. Let’s refocus the use of this money because I’ve heard almost all Utah officials say that Utah is growing and people are coming. You don’t need encouragement!
Lisa Rutherford is a resident of Ivins.
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