Utah Congressional Delegation Urges Rejection of Zion National Park's Visitor Use Management Plan

As the Zion National Park's draft Visitor Use Management Plan (VUM) prepares for release this summer, Senator Mike Lee, alongside Senator John Curtis and Representatives Blake Moore, Mike Kennedy, Celeste Johnston, and Burgess Owens, has issued a joint letter to U.S. Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum, calling for the rejection of the proposed plan. The plan would impose a parkwide reservation-based system, which state and local leaders warn would severely impact the local economy.

Key Takeaways:

• The proposed Visitor Use Management Plan (VUM) for Zion National Park would introduce a parkwide reservation-based system, potentially causing economic harm to Utah's gateway communities.
• Data from the National Park Service indicate that a similar reservation system at Arches National Park in 2022 led to a 12.4% drop in visitor spending in Grand County in the first year, followed by an additional 6.5% decrease the next year.
• Estimating the trend applied to Zion National Park, this would result in an estimated $128 million annual loss for Utah's gateway communities.
• Utah has already implemented several locally driven strategies to address congestion and improve the visitor experience without reducing access:

+ $18 million in state funding for critical infrastructure improvements tied directly to visitor capacity and public safety.

+ A regional recreation management plan coordinated with the Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Forest Service, and local governments to disperse visitors, improve transit connections, and reduce congestion.

+ Targeted public outreach efforts on major projects, including upcoming vehicle restrictions on the Zion-Mount Carmel Highway.

• The delegation's letter urges Secretary Burgum to cancel the VUM plan and support the locally driven strategies already in motion.

Statistics:

• The National Park Service data showed a 12.4% decrease in visitor spending in Grand County after a similar reservation system was implemented at Arches National Park in 2022.
• The data also showed an additional 6.5% decrease in visitor spending the following year.
• The estimated annual loss for Utah's gateway communities due to the VUM plan would be $128 million.
• Utah has allocated $18 million in state funding for critical infrastructure improvements tied directly to visitor capacity and public safety.
• The regional recreation management plan has been coordinated with the Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Forest Service, and local governments to disperse visitors.

Sources:

• Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources