Western Summit on Tourism and Public Lands:
Seeking Common Ground

• The Summit was a gathering of tourism industry leaders and the key stewards of the West's public lands.
• The goal of the Summit dialogue was to identify and prioritize issues, generate strategies, and create coalitions to enhance the delegates’ ability to meet the needs of users of public lands and contribute to the sustainability of communities through the protection and management of the West's public lands.
• The Summit was sponsored by the Western States Tourism Policy Council--a consortium of state tourism directors from the western states.
• Delegates to the Summit included federal and other high level public land managers and policy makers and key leaders from both the public and private sectors of the tourism industry from the thirteen western states. This included the states of Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Hawaii, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming. In attendance, were national leaders from the U.S. departments of Agriculture, Interior, and Transportation, the Environmental Protection Agency, the National Governors Association, the Western Governors Association, Native American organizations and national tourism organizations.

The objectives of the Summit were:

1. create a lasting environment which promotes cooperation and mutual understanding about the opportunities and roles of public lands and tourism in fulfilling human needs, and
2. develop strategies and actions which will help to meet the needs of people and contribute to the sustainability of local communities through the protection and management of America's public land heritage now and in the future.

The Summit was convened because:

1. The interests of the tourism industry and public land management are becoming increasingly intertwined.
2. America's public lands hold a unique position in the heritage of the West.
3. Many of the places held in public trust are among the prime destinations for travel and recreation.
4. These western lands and the values they hold define the spirit of America.
5. The mission of public lands stewards, to provide human use and preserve these lands into perpetuity, is intimately linked to the purposes for which people travel.
6. It is only through cooperation and working together to seek common ground that the challenges of serving the needs of people and contributing to the sustainability of local communities through the protection and management of our rich western natural heritage can be met.

What happened at the Summit?

• Thomas G. Tait, Chair of the Western States Tourism Policy Council; Governor Bob Miller of Nevada; a representative for Governor Pete Wilson of California; Secretary of the Department of Agriculture, Dan Glickman and Deputy Secretary for the Department of the Interior, John Garamendi addressed the major challenges, responsibilities and policies related to the role of public lands in tourism. The Chairman of the Travel Industry Association of America, Sandra Fulton and the Executive Vice President of the National Tour Association, Jim Host, highlighted the benefits, challenges, and opportunities of tourism in relation to public lands.
• Presentations from two groups capped the foundation for the Summit. The directors of the National Park Service, U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Federal Highway Administration, Bureau of Reclamation, the Environmental Protection Agency, and Bureau of Indian Affairs discussed the policies, mandates and challenges of their agencies. Five state travel directors introduced and explained the five tracks or topics around which the delegate dialogue ensued. The five tracks involved access, infrastructure, fees and management, the environment, and information and marketing.
• The remainder of the Summit was dedicated to facilitated discussions among the delegates. They defined challenges and issues, developed cooperative strategies, and outlined future actions to fulfill mutual goals for tourism and public lands in America. The following are some of key initiatives and developments that have occurred since the Summit

What has happened since the Summit?

• The Western States Tourism Policy Council has produced several documents as a result of the Summit. They can be obtained by contacting Teresa Burkhauser at the Nevada Commission on Tourism, 5151 S. Carson St., Carson City, NV 89701, (702) 687-4685.

1. The Federal Resource Guide on Tourism and the Public Lands
2. The Western Summit on Tourism and Public Lands White Papers, (written as a collaborative effort between the 13 western state tourism offices with input from federal agencies and others)
3. Seeking Common Ground: The Proceedings of the Summit on Tourism and Public Lands
4. Summary of the Proceedings of the Summit on Tourism and Public Lands, (a summary of the key issues, challenges, strategies, solutions and action steps generated by the Summit delegates) 

• Communication and coordination between tourism industry leaders and public land agencies is improving as evidenced by the productive developments in procedures modifying entrance fees to National Parks and other federal areas.
• The federal public lands and resource management departments and agencies and the Western States Tourism Policy Council has negotiated a landmark Memorandum of Understanding. The agreement is designed to help all parties achieve their mutual goals:

1. meet the needs of people who travel through the west,
2. contribute to the sustainability of communities through the protection and management of our rich western natural history.

• An improved awareness and understanding of the diverse roles and responsibilities of public land managers and the goals they share in common with the tourism industry have resulted in a commitment to facilitate better communication.
• The Western States Tourism Policy Council is moving forward to establish a clearing center and mechanism to publish and share success stories and "best case scenarios" of partnerships between tourism and public land leaders. Model programs, working partnerships or best case examples should be submitted to the WSTPC.
• Following the unanimous support of the Summit delegation, the federal land agencies are moving quickly to implement the fee demonstration program and improve appropriate programs to retain fees at local sites in order to enhance infrastructure maintenance and site improvements.
• The Western States Tourism Policy Council has resolved to incorporate a message about proper environmental stewardship in tourism materials that are produced by each member state.
• The Summit delegation moved to recognize, award and bring attention to the successful cooperation between the tourism industry and public land agencies. The intention is to elevate and celebrate programs in which people are working together. The American Recreation Coalition has taken the initiative to coordinate the program.
• Federal and industry partners with leadership from the Department of Agriculture have committed to survey infrastructure and facility needs--the "greenfrastructure" on public lands that supports tourism and recreation.
• The Summit generated educational initiatives to encourage local stewardship of public lands. These and other efforts are designed to create strategies for public land managers and tourism professionals to inform and educate the general public and government leaders about the values of public lands and sustainable tourism. Among model programs is the National Tourism Foundation’s series of "Guides’ Guides" to selected parks in the United States and Canada.

Click here for Notable Quotables about the Summit.

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